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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 sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  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. bay — a part of the sea
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. mark — a trace
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. race — a contest
  13. mark — a grade
  14. craft — boats
  15. race — the arms race
  16. sharp — clever
  17. bark — to shout
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. craft — a skill
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. race — humankind
  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