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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 captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. hand — in cards
  9. hand — help
  10. drill — the tool
  11. drill — army training
  12. suit — to fit
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. suit — clothes
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. drill — a practice
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. board — a committee
  23. bat — the animal
  24. suit — in cards

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