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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. rush — hurry
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. game — a match
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. key — the most important part
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. game — wild animals
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. key — in music
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. key — for a lock
  21. kid — child
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. kid — to tease
  24. leaves — of a tree

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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