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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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. capital — money
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. tear — from crying
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. pound — a weight
  9. net — in sport
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. capital — a city
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. tear — from crying
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. net — after costs
  22. tear — to rip
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. net — for catching

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