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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: board · mine · suit · nail · game · leaves · straw · mate

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. mate — a friend
  5. mine — for digging
  6. suit — clothes
  7. suit — in cards
  8. game — wild animals
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. game — a match
  11. mate — a partner
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. board — a committee
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. board — to get on
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. suit — to fit
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. mate — to breed
  24. leaves — of a tree

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