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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. last — finally
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. saw — the tool
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. stand — to bear
  10. board — to get on
  11. staff — employees
  12. cue — for pool
  13. hand — help
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. last — to go on
  16. board — a committee
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. staff — employees
  19. cue — a hint
  20. staff — a stick
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. cue — a signal
  23. hand — in cards
  24. saw — the tool

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