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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. rock — a stone
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. rock — music
  5. bear — the animal
  6. board — a committee
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. bear — the animal
  9. march — music
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. march — the month
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. object — an aim
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. object — to protest
  19. board — to get on
  20. object — a thing
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. march — the month
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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