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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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. rash — a series
  3. rash — hasty
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. pound — a weight
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. board — a committee
  8. board — to get on
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. suit — in cards
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. bass — the fish
  13. bank — for money
  14. suit — clothes
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. bank — of a river
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. bass — low music
  21. suit — to fit
  22. bank — for money
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. hide — to keep secret

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