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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: staff · lie · ball · firm · march · bay · bore · straw

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. bore — to tire
  4. firm — a company
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. firm — steady
  7. ball — a great time
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. staff — a stick
  11. firm — decided
  12. march — music
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. staff — employees
  15. bore — to drill
  16. lie — to recline
  17. march — the month
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. staff — employees
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. ball — a dance
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. march — the month

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