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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. wound — an injury
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. board — a committee
  5. season — in sport
  6. season — of the year
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. bat — the animal
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. sharp — clever
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. wound — an injury
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. board — to get on

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