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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: rush · bank · board · present · straw · fall · suit · fork

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. present — the time now
  3. board — a committee
  4. suit — clothes
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. bank — of a river
  7. bank — for money
  8. fork — in a road
  9. board — to get on
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. present — there
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. rush — hurry
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. fall — to drop
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. bank — for money
  19. present — a gift
  20. fall — to drop
  21. suit — in cards
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. suit — to fit

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