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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. cell — in biology
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. race — humankind
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. cell — a phone
  11. cue — a hint
  12. cue — a signal
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. race — a contest
  18. race — the arms race
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. wake — a trail
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. cue — for pool
  24. nail — for a hammer

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