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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 coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. bank — for money
  4. board — a committee
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. bank — for money
  7. rest — what's left
  8. bound — tied together
  9. swing — to play on
  10. bark — to shout
  11. rest — what's left
  12. board — to get on
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. rest — a break
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. bound — obliged
  20. dip — to sink
  21. bound — certain
  22. bank — of a river
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. swing — music

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