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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. board — to get on
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. fall — to drop
  6. fork — in a road
  7. craft — a skill
  8. deal — to handle
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. fall — the season
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. board — a committee
  13. fall — to drop
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. ball — a dance
  16. ball — a great time
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. file — a tool
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. craft — boats
  23. file — a document
  24. straw — dry grass

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