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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. chair — a leader
  6. plane — a tool
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. pop — music
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. mark — a trace
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. last — finally
  14. pop — soda
  15. mark — a grade
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. last — final
  20. pop — to visit
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. last — to go on
  24. bark — to shout

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