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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: row · fan · wound · racket · board · straw

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. board — a committee
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. wound — an injury
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. wound — an injury
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. board — to get on
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. row — a line
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. racket — for tennis

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