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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  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. key — in music
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. fall — to drop
  4. capital — a city
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. fall — the season
  7. fall — to drop
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. bass — low music
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. capital — money
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. bass — the fish
  20. key — the most important part
  21. key — for a lock
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. straw — dry grass
  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