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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. club — for golf
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. degree — temperature
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. stand — to bear
  9. degree — from a university
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. degree — an amount
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. club — a group
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. club — for dancing
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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