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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. bark — to shout
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. wax — to grow
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. current — electric
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. current — happening now
  16. plane — a tool
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. bat — the animal
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. fork — in a road
  22. current — of water
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. plane — in geometry

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