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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. cue — for pool
  4. cue — a signal
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. roll — a cake
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. roll — a list
  11. wound — an injury
  12. ball — a great time
  13. cue — a hint
  14. chair — a leader
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. mine — for digging
  17. wound — an injury
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. ball — a dance

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