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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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. wake — a trail
  9. bank — for money
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. scale — in music
  12. mark — a trace
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. pit — a hole
  15. bank — of a river
  16. pit — in a race
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. bank — for money
  19. mark — a grade
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. hand — in cards
  22. scale — size or range
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. hand — help

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