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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. rock — a stone
  4. saw — the tool
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. face — part of the head
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. board — a committee
  17. squash — to crush
  18. rock — music
  19. face — to confront
  20. squash — the sport
  21. saw — the tool
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. face — to point toward
  24. board — to get on

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