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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 goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. bound — obliged
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. board — to get on
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. present — the time now
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. board — a committee
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. bound — tied together
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. bound — certain
  15. net — for catching
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. saw — the tool
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. saw — the tool
  20. present — a gift
  21. net — after costs
  22. net — in sport
  23. present — there
  24. board — a flat piece

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