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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. key — for a lock
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. chair — a leader
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. scale — size or range
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. current — of water
  12. rest — what's left
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. scale — in music
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. current — electric
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. board — to get on
  19. key — in music
  20. board — a committee
  21. current — happening now
  22. key — the most important part
  23. rest — what's left
  24. wake — a trail

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