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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 116 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. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. face — part of the head
  3. board — a committee
  4. craft — a skill
  5. craft — boats
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. stem — to come from
  8. row — to paddle
  9. can — a tin
  10. mate — a partner
  11. row — a line
  12. mate — a friend
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. can — to be able to
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. can — a tin
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. mate — to breed
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. face — to confront
  21. face — to point toward
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. board — to get on

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