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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 people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. snap — to click
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. key — in music
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. key — for a lock
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. key — the most important part
  23. branch — a division
  24. jam — in traffic

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