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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  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. bay — a horse colour
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. file — a tool
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. file — a line of people
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. key — for a lock
  10. key — the most important part
  11. lean — thin
  12. lean — to bend
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. kick — in football
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. fine — all right
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. file — a document
  20. fine — high quality
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. nail — for a hammer
  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