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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. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. board — to get on
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. board — a committee
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. pit — in a race
  16. pit — a hole
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. dip — to sink

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