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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. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. cap — of ice
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. row — a line
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. cue — a hint
  11. cue — for pool
  12. cue — a signal
  13. toast — bread
  14. foot — a measure
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. cap — a lid
  18. cap — a hat
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. row — to paddle
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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