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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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. bore — to tire
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. track — a song
  5. track — a path
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. board — to get on
  8. wind — moving air
  9. key — the most important part
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. key — in music
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. board — a committee
  15. bore — to drill
  16. plane — a tool
  17. snap — to click
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. key — for a lock
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. track — to keep track
  24. wind — moving air

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