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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. pop — soda
  3. kick — in football
  4. rash — hasty
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. rash — a series
  8. board — to get on
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. lie — to recline
  15. board — a committee
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. pop — to visit
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. pop — music

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