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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  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. board — to get on
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. bank — for money
  5. saw — the tool
  6. bank — of a river
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. board — a committee
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. saw — the tool
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. branch — a division
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. wake — a trail
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. bank — for money
  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