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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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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: mug · pitcher · roll · foot · bowl · bay · straw · last

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. mug — to rob
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. roll — a list
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. foot — a measure
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. mug — a cup
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. last — finally
  16. mug — a face
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. roll — a cake
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. last — to go on
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. bowl — a football final

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