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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. saw — the tool
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. saw — the tool
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. fine — all right
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. kid — to tease
  12. firm — a company
  13. prune — to trim
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. firm — steady
  18. board — a committee
  19. firm — decided
  20. prune — to trim
  21. fine — high quality
  22. board — to get on
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. kid — child

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