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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 ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. swing — in golf
  3. ground — crushed
  4. fall — to drop
  5. file — a tool
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. swing — music
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. ground — a position
  11. file — a line of people
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. fall — the season
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. stem — to come from
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. swing — to play on
  19. file — a document
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. fall — to drop
  23. board — a committee
  24. board — to get on

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