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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. pound — a weight
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. board — a committee
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. board — to get on
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. court — for sport
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. rush — hurry
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. court — of a king
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. lie — to recline
  18. court — of law
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. pound — for dogs

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