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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 116 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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. lean — thin
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. lean — to bend
  12. land — ground
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. land — a country
  16. wound — an injury
  17. land — to come down
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. chair — a leader
  20. wound — an injury
  21. deal — to handle
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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