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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 chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bear — the animal
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. cold — not warm
  8. rule — government
  9. band — a music group
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. key — for a lock
  13. shower — rain
  14. cold — an illness
  15. shower — to wash
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. key — the most important part
  22. band — a ring
  23. rule — a law
  24. key — in music

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