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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. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  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. staff — employees
  2. file — a document
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. file — a tool
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. game — wild animals
  10. game — a match
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. prune — to trim
  17. staff — employees
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. wind — moving air
  20. staff — a stick
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. file — a line of people
  23. wind — moving air
  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