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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. charge — in control
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. swing — to play on
  7. tear — from crying
  8. swing — music
  9. charge — electricity
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. rock — a stone
  12. kick — in football
  13. charge — a price
  14. tear — to rip
  15. board — to get on
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. rock — music
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. fork — in a road
  21. board — a committee
  22. tear — from crying
  23. swing — in golf
  24. straw — dry grass

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