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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. content — the amount
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. content — happy
  8. mug — a cup
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. present — there
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. present — a gift
  14. ground — a position
  15. ground — crushed
  16. mug — to rob
  17. ground — the earth
  18. board — a committee
  19. mug — a face
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. board — to get on
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. present — the time now

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