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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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. staff — employees
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. staff — employees
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. wind — moving air
  15. band — a music group
  16. band — a ring
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. stock — goods
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. wind — moving air
  23. stock — shares
  24. stock — a soup base

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