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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 116 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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. tube — a container
  4. saw — the tool
  5. saw — the tool
  6. track — a song
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. present — the time now
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. bass — the fish
  11. track — to keep track
  12. tube — the underground
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. bass — low music
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. spell — a short time
  17. spell — magic
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. spell — letters
  20. track — a path
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. present — a gift
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. bass — the instrument

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