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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. lean — thin
  7. suit — to fit
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. field — farmland
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. lean — to bend
  13. suit — in cards
  14. board — to get on
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. board — a committee
  17. field — a subject
  18. lie — to recline
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. field — for sport
  24. lean — to rest against

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