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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. cap — of ice
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. drill — the tool
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. staff — employees
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. drill — a practice
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. board — a committee
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. staff — a stick
  18. cap — a hat
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. wake — a trail
  21. board — to get on
  22. staff — employees
  23. cap — a lid
  24. drill — army training

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