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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 124 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's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. object — a thing
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. object — to protest
  18. deal — to handle
  19. band — a ring
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. object — an aim
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. nail — on a finger

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