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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. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. saw — the tool
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. cap — a hat
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. fine — high quality
  8. court — for sport
  9. court — of law
  10. rest — a break
  11. rest — what's left
  12. fork — in a road
  13. cap — of ice
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. fine — all right
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. court — of a king
  19. cap — a lid
  20. saw — the tool
  21. rest — what's left
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. bay — a horse colour

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