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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 120 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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. mug — a face
  4. board — a committee
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. last — final
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. stand — to bear
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. board — to get on
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. mug — to rob
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. last — to go on
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. last — finally
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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