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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. mug — a cup
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. club — a group
  7. lean — to bend
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. lean — thin
  12. wound — an injury
  13. mug — to rob
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. pit — in a race
  17. pit — a hole
  18. club — for dancing
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. wound — an injury
  23. club — for golf
  24. mug — a face

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