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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  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. fall — to drop
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. clip — for paper
  6. fall — to drop
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. current — happening now
  10. clip — to cut
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. fall — the season
  13. pass — a permit
  14. clip — a video
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. current — electric
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. deal — to handle
  20. branch — a division
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. current — of water
  23. pass — to succeed
  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