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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  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. bay — a part of the sea
  2. bore — to tire
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. field — farmland
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. object — a thing
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. present — the time now
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. bore — to drill
  13. cue — a signal
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. object — to protest
  16. object — an aim
  17. cue — a hint
  18. present — there
  19. cue — for pool
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. present — a gift
  22. field — for sport
  23. field — a subject
  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