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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. board — a committee
  3. board — to get on
  4. bass — the fish
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. spell — letters
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. wind — moving air
  9. prune — to trim
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. bass — low music
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. firm — decided
  15. firm — a company
  16. prune — to trim
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. spell — magic
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. firm — steady
  23. foot — a measure
  24. wind — moving air

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