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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. bank — for money
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. suit — clothes
  6. bank — of a river
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. prune — to trim
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. board — a committee
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. lean — thin
  14. shower — to wash
  15. lean — to bend
  16. suit — to fit
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. suit — in cards
  20. shower — rain
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. mine — for digging
  23. bank — for money
  24. prune — to trim

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