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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. rock — a stone
  5. tube — the underground
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. spell — a short time
  8. spell — letters
  9. rock — music
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. tube — a container
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. spell — magic
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. lean — to bend
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. lean — thin
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. chair — a leader
  24. chair — to sit on

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