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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. board — to get on
  4. fine — high quality
  5. mate — a partner
  6. board — a committee
  7. fine — all right
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. mug — to rob
  12. game — wild animals
  13. mate — a friend
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. mate — to breed
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. game — a match
  21. stand — to bear
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. mug — a cup
  24. mug — a face

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