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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 120 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 assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. craft — boats
  4. board — a committee
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. wake — a trail
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. saw — the tool
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. chair — a leader
  17. saw — the tool
  18. board — to get on
  19. fine — high quality
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. craft — a skill
  22. lie — to recline
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. wake — before a funeral

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