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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. mug — a cup
  3. staff — employees
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. fork — in a road
  6. saw — the tool
  7. mug — to rob
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. staff — employees
  10. saw — the tool
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. content — the amount
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. staff — a stick
  22. sharp — clever
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. content — happy

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