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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 120 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 dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. wind — moving air
  3. board — to get on
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. shower — to wash
  6. ground — the earth
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. last — finally
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. rock — music
  12. pass — a permit
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. last — final
  16. board — a committee
  17. rock — a stone
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. wind — moving air
  20. ground — a position
  21. last — to go on
  22. shower — rain
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. ground — crushed

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