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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. suit — to fit
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. board — to get on
  5. track — a song
  6. kick — in football
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. can — a tin
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. suit — in cards
  13. march — the month
  14. track — to keep track
  15. suit — clothes
  16. can — to be able to
  17. march — music
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. track — a path
  20. march — the month
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. board — a committee
  23. can — a tin
  24. kick — with a leg

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