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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: board · content · wound · fall · pass · suit · arm · straw

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. fall — the season
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. fall — to drop
  5. suit — clothes
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. suit — to fit
  8. wound — an injury
  9. content — the amount
  10. board — to get on
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. content — happy
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. suit — in cards
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. board — a committee
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. pass — a permit
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. fall — to drop
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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