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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 116 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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. cue — a signal
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. board — to get on
  5. branch — a division
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. bass — the fish
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. bass — low music
  19. cue — for pool
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. wake — a trail
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. cue — a hint

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