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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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  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. shower — to wash
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. shower — rain
  4. scale — size or range
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. tube — a container
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. tube — the underground
  10. suit — to fit
  11. wind — moving air
  12. scale — in music
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. lean — to bend
  16. suit — clothes
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. lean — thin
  19. suit — in cards
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. wind — moving air
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. lean — to rest against
  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