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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. saw — the tool
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. key — for a lock
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. key — the most important part
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. saw — the tool
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. board — a committee
  15. suit — in cards
  16. key — in music
  17. ground — a position
  18. sharp — clever
  19. suit — to fit
  20. ground — crushed
  21. board — to get on
  22. wake — a trail
  23. ground — the earth
  24. suit — clothes

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