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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. bore — to drill
  4. wake — a trail
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. board — a committee
  7. board — to get on
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. net — after costs
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. net — for catching
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. net — in sport
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. bore — to tire
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. nail — for a hammer

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