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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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. lean — to bend
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. mate — a partner
  9. mate — a friend
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. snap — to click
  16. lean — thin
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. mate — to breed
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. bay — a horse colour

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