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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'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. rest — what's left
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. bank — for money
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. board — to get on
  10. rock — a stone
  11. bank — of a river
  12. rest — what's left
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. rock — music
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. bank — for money
  17. rest — a break
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. stand — to bear
  22. snap — to click
  23. wake — a trail
  24. straw — dry grass

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