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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. bound — certain
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. fine — all right
  9. bound — tied together
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. board — to get on
  12. board — a committee
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. bound — obliged
  16. foot — a measure
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. fine — a penalty

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