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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: board · straw · sharp · key · lash · suit · bank · cold

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. board — a committee
  3. key — for a lock
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. bank — for money
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. bank — of a river
  9. cold — not warm
  10. bank — for money
  11. suit — in cards
  12. board — to get on
  13. cold — an illness
  14. sharp — clever
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. suit — to fit
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. key — in music
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. suit — clothes
  24. key — the most important part

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