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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. rest — what's left
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. craft — a skill
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. craft — boats
  7. rest — what's left
  8. snap — to click
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. rest — a break
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. saw — the tool
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. bat — the animal
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. hand — help
  22. hand — in cards
  23. saw — the tool
  24. bay — a horse colour

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