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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'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. hand — in cards
  3. fine — high quality
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. sharp — clever
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. plane — a tool
  10. fall — the season
  11. bulb — for light
  12. fall — to drop
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. board — to get on
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. fall — to drop
  19. fine — all right
  20. bulb — for light
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. hand — help
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. straw — a straw man

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