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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 124 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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. board — a committee
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. foot — a measure
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. cap — a lid
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. bark — to shout
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. board — to get on
  14. rash — a series
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. cap — of ice
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. deal — to handle
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. cap — a hat
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. deal — an agreement

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