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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
468
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: pass · lean · bay · straw · row · current · jam · mug

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. lean — to bend
  3. current — happening now
  4. mug — to rob
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. row — a line
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. current — of water
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. current — electric
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. pass — a permit
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. row — to paddle
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. lean — thin
  24. mug — a face

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