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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 120 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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  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. pitcher — in baseball
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. fork — in a road
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. board — to get on
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. snap — to click
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. board — a committee
  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