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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. row — to paddle
  9. root — of a word
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. root — the cause
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bulb — for light
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. row — a line
  17. fine — high quality
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. mine — for digging
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. root — of a plant
  24. straw — a straw man

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