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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. land — to come down
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. saw — the tool
  5. board — to get on
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. present — there
  11. land — ground
  12. saw — the tool
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. club — for dancing
  15. present — a gift
  16. club — a group
  17. club — for golf
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. board — a committee
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. land — a country
  22. rush — hurry
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. safe — out of danger

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