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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.

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: saw · season · staff · dip · game · straw · bay · hide

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  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. staff — employees
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. staff — a stick
  4. saw — the tool
  5. season — of the year
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. dip — to sink
  8. staff — employees
  9. season — in sport
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. game — a match
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. game — wild animals
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. saw — the tool
  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