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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 strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. deal — to handle
  4. wind — moving air
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. prune — to trim
  7. fine — high quality
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. board — to get on
  12. board — a committee
  13. prune — to trim
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. fine — all right
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. nail — for a hammer

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