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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. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. board — a committee
  3. drill — a practice
  4. pass — a permit
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. season — in sport
  7. drill — army training
  8. season — of the year
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. mine — for digging
  15. board — to get on
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. drill — the tool
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. object — a thing
  22. object — an aim
  23. object — to protest
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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