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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. cap — a lid
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. cap — a hat
  11. club — for dancing
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. cap — of ice
  18. club — a group
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. lie — to recline
  24. straw — a straw man

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