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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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. key — in music
  4. craft — a skill
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. craft — boats
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. key — for a lock
  14. key — the most important part
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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