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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. spell — magic
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. wake — a trail
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. staff — employees
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. board — a committee
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. staff — employees
  12. spell — a short time
  13. saw — the tool
  14. saw — the tool
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. cue — a signal
  18. cue — for pool
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. spell — letters
  22. staff — a stick
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. cue — a hint

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