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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. tube — a container
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. mug — a cup
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. mug — a face
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. mug — to rob
  17. bark — to shout
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. board — to get on
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. snap — to click
  22. board — a committee
  23. tube — the underground
  24. straw — dry grass

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