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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. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. deal — to handle
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. board — a committee
  12. net — after costs
  13. board — to get on
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. net — in sport
  19. net — for catching
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. fall — the season
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. fall — to drop
  24. deal — a big deal

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