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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. current — happening now
  3. current — of water
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. bank — for money
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. wind — moving air
  10. board — to get on
  11. branch — a division
  12. board — a committee
  13. wax — to grow
  14. bank — for money
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. current — electric
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. bank — of a river
  19. wind — moving air
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. chip — to eat
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. chip — for betting

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