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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. rush — hurry
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. drill — the tool
  6. suit — clothes
  7. season — of the year
  8. spring — a coil
  9. suit — to fit
  10. drill — army training
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. season — in sport
  15. spring — of water
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. kid — to tease
  18. drill — a practice
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. spring — the season
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. suit — in cards
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com