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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. last — finally
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. mark — a grade
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. net — in sport
  12. last — to go on
  13. band — a ring
  14. saw — the tool
  15. band — a music group
  16. net — after costs
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. mark — a trace
  23. last — final
  24. net — for catching

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