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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 fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. clip — for paper
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. cue — a hint
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. clip — to cut
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. board — to get on
  11. cue — for pool
  12. cue — a signal
  13. clip — a video
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. bound — certain
  18. bound — obliged
  19. board — a committee
  20. bound — tied together
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. bass — low music
  24. bass — the instrument

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