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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. prune — to trim
  3. rule — government
  4. game — wild animals
  5. lean — thin
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. rash — hasty
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. rash — a series
  15. prune — to trim
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. chip — for betting
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. lean — to bend
  20. rule — a law
  21. game — a match
  22. chip — to eat
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. straw — dry grass

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