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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. staff — employees
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. dip — to sink
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. staff — a stick
  11. ground — a position
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. board — a committee
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. ground — the earth
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. staff — employees
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. ground — crushed
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. sharp — clever

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