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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: mark · staff · kid · can · bay · straw

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. staff — a stick
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. can — a tin
  5. can — a tin
  6. staff — employees
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. mark — a grade
  11. kid — to tease
  12. can — to be able to
  13. kid — child
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. staff — employees
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. mark — a trace

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