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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. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. track — to keep track
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. rush — hurry
  9. track — a song
  10. squash — to crush
  11. object — an aim
  12. tear — from crying
  13. track — a path
  14. hand — help
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. object — a thing
  17. tear — to rip
  18. object — to protest
  19. hand — in cards
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. squash — the sport

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