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

Word bank: fork · board · face · object · deal · rule · straw · wake

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  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. straw — a straw man
  2. object — to protest
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. face — to confront
  6. deal — to handle
  7. rule — a law
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. face — part of the head
  11. board — to get on
  12. wake — a trail
  13. object — an aim
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. object — a thing
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. board — a committee
  19. rule — government
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. face — to point toward
  22. fork — in a road
  23. rule — to rule out
  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