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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 116 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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. bear — the animal
  3. board — a committee
  4. clip — for paper
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. bore — to drill
  7. board — to get on
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. bore — to tire
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. clip — to cut
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. shower — to wash
  20. stem — to come from
  21. clip — a video
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. stand — to bear
  24. shower — rain

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