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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: sharp · straw · trunk · chair · capital · bank · board · deal

  1. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. board — to get on
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. sharp — clever
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. capital — a city
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. capital — money
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. bank — for money
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. deal — to handle
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. board — a committee
  20. bank — of a river
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. bank — for money
  24. straw — dry grass

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