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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. mug — to rob
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. mug — a face
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. drill — a practice
  8. foot — a measure
  9. bass — low music
  10. squash — the sport
  11. drill — army training
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. drill — the tool
  15. bass — the fish
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. squash — to crush
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. fork — in a road
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. foot — part of the body

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