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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 old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. club — for golf
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. club — a group
  8. staff — employees
  9. club — for dancing
  10. row — a line
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. branch — a division
  14. squash — to crush
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. squash — the sport
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. board — a committee
  20. row — to paddle
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. staff — employees
  24. board — to get on

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