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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. staff — employees
  3. content — the amount
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. staff — employees
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. content — happy
  14. pass — a permit
  15. staff — a stick
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. saw — the tool
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. saw — the tool
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. trunk — of a tree

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