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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 124 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.

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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've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. court — of a king
  11. court — for sport
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. rush — hurry
  15. fork — in a road
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. pass — a permit
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. court — of law

Multiple-meaning words list

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

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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