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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. rush — hurry
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. board — a committee
  5. bank — for money
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. bank — for money
  8. wind — moving air
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. board — to get on
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. deal — to handle
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. wind — moving air
  19. bank — of a river
  20. pit — a hole
  21. mine — for digging
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. pit — in a race
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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