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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 120 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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. cap — a lid
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. staff — employees
  10. hand — in cards
  11. hand — help
  12. cap — a hat
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. rule — government
  15. cap — of ice
  16. lean — to bend
  17. staff — employees
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. rule — a law
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. staff — a stick

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