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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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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: cabinet · net · board · wake · dip · rule · scale · straw

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. board — to get on
  3. wake — a trail
  4. net — for catching
  5. rule — government
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. net — after costs
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. scale — size or range
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. board — a committee
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. net — in sport
  21. rule — a law
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. scale — in music
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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