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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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. fall — to drop
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. staff — employees
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. spell — a short time
  8. spell — letters
  9. staff — a stick
  10. spell — magic
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. perch — the fish
  13. board — a committee
  14. fall — the season
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. game — a match
  17. game — wild animals
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. fall — to drop
  22. board — to get on
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. safe — out of danger

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