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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. court — of law
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. lean — to bend
  6. kick — in football
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. court — of a king
  10. fine — all right
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. lean — thin
  15. court — for sport
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. bark — to shout
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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