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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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. present — the time now
  4. cap — a hat
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. drill — the tool
  7. board — to get on
  8. rule — government
  9. present — a gift
  10. firm — decided
  11. rule — a law
  12. present — there
  13. board — a committee
  14. tube — a container
  15. firm — steady
  16. drill — army training
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. drill — a practice
  19. firm — a company
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. cap — a lid
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. tube — the underground
  24. cap — of ice

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