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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 124 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: bear · bay · swing · fork · kick · arm · saw · straw

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. saw — the tool
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. kick — in football
  10. fork — in a road
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. bear — the animal
  13. saw — the tool
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. swing — music
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. swing — to play on
  22. swing — in golf
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. bear — the animal

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