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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 goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. tear — from crying
  3. tear — to rip
  4. row — to paddle
  5. present — the time now
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. pit — in a race
  9. court — of law
  10. pit — a hole
  11. tear — from crying
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. present — a gift
  14. board — to get on
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. row — a line
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. court — of a king
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. board — a committee
  21. court — for sport
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. present — there

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