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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 124 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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. board — a committee
  4. rock — a stone
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. current — happening now
  8. mug — a face
  9. board — to get on
  10. rock — music
  11. spell — letters
  12. rest — what's left
  13. spell — a short time
  14. spell — magic
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. mug — to rob
  18. current — of water
  19. current — electric
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. mug — a cup
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. rest — what's left

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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