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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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. saw — the tool
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. chair — a leader
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. mug — a cup
  9. saw — the tool
  10. craft — a skill
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. mug — a face
  13. craft — boats
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. mug — to rob
  17. game — a match
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bulb — for light
  20. game — wild animals
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. lash — an eyelash

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