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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. spell — a short time
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. last — finally
  5. track — to keep track
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. last — final
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. content — the amount
  13. chair — a leader
  14. track — a song
  15. content — happy
  16. spell — magic
  17. spell — letters
  18. last — to go on
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. track — a path
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. hide — animal skin

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