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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: bay · straw · rest · wax · key · craft · foot · bowl

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. rest — what's left
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. key — in music
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. craft — boats
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. wax — to grow
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. rest — a break
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. rest — what's left
  20. key — for a lock
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. key — the most important part
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. craft — a skill

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