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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.

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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. season — in sport
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. bat — the animal
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. spell — magic
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. hand — in cards
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. spell — a short time
  19. hand — help
  20. season — of the year
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. spell — letters
  24. mine — for digging

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