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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. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. board — a committee
  4. board — to get on
  5. bank — for money
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. wake — a trail
  11. bank — for money
  12. bank — of a river
  13. dip — to sink
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. deal — to handle

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