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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. lean — to bend
  3. lean — thin
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. fine — high quality
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. file — a line of people
  11. craft — a skill
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. craft — boats
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. fine — all right
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. file — a document
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. file — a tool
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. lean — to rest against

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