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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.

Make a worksheet

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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. wind — moving air
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. wind — moving air
  6. chair — a leader
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. bulb — for light
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. club — for golf
  17. sharp — clever
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. club — a group
  22. club — for dancing
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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