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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. fall — the season
  4. fall — to drop
  5. club — for golf
  6. club — a group
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. fall — to drop
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. board — to get on
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. bear — the animal
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. lie — to recline
  20. board — a committee
  21. club — for dancing
  22. bear — the animal
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. safe — out of danger

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