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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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. stand — to bear
  3. bass — the fish
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. lean — thin
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. mug — a face
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. mug — to rob
  15. bass — low music
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. mug — a cup
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. sharp — clever
  24. lean — to bend

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