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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. last — final
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. spell — a short time
  6. spell — magic
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. board — to get on
  12. board — a committee
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. pass — a permit
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. last — to go on
  20. spell — letters
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. last — finally
  23. sharp — clever
  24. bay — a horse colour

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