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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. board — a committee
  5. object — an aim
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. rash — a series
  8. spell — magic
  9. lean — thin
  10. shower — to wash
  11. board — to get on
  12. lean — to bend
  13. spell — a short time
  14. shower — rain
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. rash — hasty
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. spell — letters
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. object — a thing
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. straw — a straw man

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