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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. land — to come down
  4. land — ground
  5. can — a tin
  6. land — a country
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. season — of the year
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. board — to get on
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. can — a tin
  17. board — a committee
  18. can — to be able to

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