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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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Word bank
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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 sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  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. bay — a part of the sea
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. tear — to rip
  5. pitch — completely
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. rash — a series
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. tear — from crying
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. kid — to tease
  17. rash — hasty
  18. tear — from crying
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. kid — child
  22. foot — a measure
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  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