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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 120 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. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. object — to protest
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. present — the time now
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. present — there
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. object — a thing
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. last — to go on
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. fork — in a road
  14. object — an aim
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. key — for a lock
  17. key — in music
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. key — the most important part
  21. present — a gift
  22. last — final
  23. last — finally
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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