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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. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. race — the arms race
  9. race — a contest
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. saw — the tool
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. board — to get on
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. saw — the tool
  22. race — humankind
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. board — a committee

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