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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 spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. board — to get on
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. band — a music group
  6. saw — the tool
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. pass — a permit
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. board — a committee
  14. staff — a stick
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. staff — employees
  17. band — a ring
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. staff — employees
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. saw — the tool

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