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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 124 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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. present — a gift
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. firm — decided
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. rock — music
  10. sharp — clever
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. rock — a stone
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. present — there
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. firm — a company
  21. present — the time now
  22. firm — steady
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. fan — to cool the air

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