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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 116 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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. rock — a stone
  3. last — to go on
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. staff — employees
  7. last — final
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. board — to get on
  10. staff — employees
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. fork — in a road
  14. rock — music
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. last — finally
  17. staff — a stick
  18. board — a flat piece

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