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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 ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. toast — bread
  3. perch — the fish
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. pass — a permit
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. board — a committee
  8. saw — the tool
  9. field — a subject
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. board — to get on
  16. field — for sport
  17. saw — the tool
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. field — farmland
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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