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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 · shower · stick · roll · pit · ruler · mark

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. mark — a trace
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. roll — a cake
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. roll — a list
  14. pit — in a race
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. pit — a hole
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. shower — to wash
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. shower — rain
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. ruler — a monarch

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