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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. board — to get on
  5. sharp — clever
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. present — a gift
  8. foot — a measure
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. mate — to breed
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. present — the time now
  14. can — a tin
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. present — there
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. can — a tin
  19. mate — a friend
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. board — a committee
  23. mate — a partner
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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