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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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. kid — to tease
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. board — to get on
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. lie — to recline
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. board — a committee
  16. craft — boats
  17. craft — a skill
  18. press — newspapers
  19. press — a publisher
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. press — to push

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