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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. board — to get on
  5. fall — the season
  6. pit — a hole
  7. rock — music
  8. fall — to drop
  9. board — a committee
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. rest — what's left
  13. rest — a break
  14. season — in sport
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. pit — in a race
  18. bound — tied together
  19. bound — obliged
  20. bound — certain
  21. fall — to drop
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. rock — a stone
  24. rest — what's left

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