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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
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: straw · bark · cabinet · scale · fan · bay · staff · mark

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. bark — to shout
  8. staff — a stick
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. scale — size or range
  17. staff — employees
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. staff — employees
  21. mark — a grade
  22. scale — in music
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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