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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. lean — thin
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. prune — to trim
  12. lean — to bend
  13. date — the fruit
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. lie — to recline
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. prune — to trim
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. board — a committee

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