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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. swing — music
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. swing — in golf
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. prune — to trim
  15. swing — to play on
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. prune — to trim

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