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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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. sharp — clever
  7. pop — music
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. pop — soda
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. board — to get on
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. board — a committee
  19. saw — the tool
  20. saw — the tool
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. pop — to visit
  24. bay — a horse colour

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