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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 120 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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. deal — to handle
  3. bank — for money
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. board — to get on
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. bank — for money
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. saw — the tool
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. bank — of a river
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. saw — the tool

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