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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 always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. row — to paddle
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. row — a line
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. sharp — clever
  24. straw — a straw man

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