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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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. drill — a practice
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. season — of the year
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. face — to confront
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. face — to point toward
  15. drill — the tool
  16. season — in sport
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. bat — the animal
  19. face — part of the head
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. drill — army training
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. bat — for baseball

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