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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  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. content — videos and posts
  3. cue — for pool
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. wind — moving air
  8. rule — government
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. content — the amount
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. board — a committee
  16. wind — moving air
  17. cue — a signal
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. content — happy
  23. rule — a law
  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