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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 116 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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. cold — not warm
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. craft — boats
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. deal — to handle
  8. root — of a plant
  9. object — to protest
  10. object — an aim
  11. rash — a series
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. root — the cause
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. root — of a word
  18. board — a committee
  19. object — a thing
  20. craft — a skill
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. cold — an illness
  23. rash — hasty
  24. straw — a straw man

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