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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. staff — employees
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. court — of law
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. court — for sport
  10. season — in sport
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. press — newspapers
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. season — of the year
  15. press — to push
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. court — of a king
  18. staff — employees
  19. staff — a stick
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. press — a publisher

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