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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.

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 · staff · saw · wake · mouse · bark · court · bay

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. wake — a trail
  4. staff — employees
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. mug — to rob
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. saw — the tool
  11. bark — to shout
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. court — for sport
  14. court — of law
  15. staff — a stick
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. mug — a face
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. court — of a king
  21. mug — a cup
  22. staff — employees
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. saw — the tool

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