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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 captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. mate — to breed
  4. bat — the animal
  5. saw — the tool
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. mate — a friend
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. mark — a grade
  13. saw — the tool
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. can — to be able to
  16. can — a tin
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. mark — a trace
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. can — a tin
  22. board — a committee
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. mate — a partner

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