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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 120 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 ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. wake — a trail
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. object — an aim
  12. object — to protest
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. drill — a practice
  16. drill — the tool
  17. drill — army training
  18. object — a thing
  19. band — a ring
  20. pound — a weight
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. band — a music group

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