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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. object — to protest
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. mate — to breed
  8. board — to get on
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. object — an aim
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. object — a thing
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. board — a committee
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. mate — a friend
  19. wound — an injury
  20. mate — a partner
  21. fork — in a road
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. wound — an injury
  24. leaves — to go away

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