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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 120 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: charge · bay · key · ruler · straw · bank · bark · last

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. last — to go on
  4. charge — a price
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. last — final
  8. key — the most important part
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. bark — to shout
  11. last — finally
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. key — in music
  14. charge — in control
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. key — for a lock
  17. charge — electricity
  18. bank — for money
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. bank — of a river
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. bank — for money
  24. straw — a straw man

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