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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 ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. board — to get on
  3. fall — to drop
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. fork — in a road
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. fall — to drop
  10. fall — the season
  11. press — a publisher
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. board — a committee
  14. toast — bread
  15. press — to push
  16. press — newspapers
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. fork — a garden tool

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