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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. object — an aim
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. key — the most important part
  6. lean — thin
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. branch — a division
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. object — to protest
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. object — a thing
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. chair — a leader
  20. key — for a lock
  21. lean — to bend
  22. key — in music
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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