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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. dip — to sink
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. race — a contest
  9. wind — moving air
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. wind — moving air
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. pound — a weight
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. race — the arms race
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. race — humankind
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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