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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. hand — in cards
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. present — a gift
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. file — a line of people
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. hand — help
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. craft — boats
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. present — there
  17. file — a tool
  18. present — the time now
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. craft — a skill
  23. rush — hurry
  24. file — a document

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