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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. saw — the tool
  3. land — a country
  4. saw — the tool
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. land — to come down
  9. ground — crushed
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. land — ground
  13. branch — a division
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. race — humankind
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. chair — a leader
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. race — the arms race
  20. race — a contest
  21. ground — the earth
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. ground — a position

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