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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: wind · suit · rock · mate · board · bark · hide · straw

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. board — a committee
  5. suit — clothes
  6. mate — a friend
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. bark — to shout
  13. mate — to breed
  14. rock — a stone
  15. suit — in cards
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. wind — moving air
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. board — to get on
  22. rock — music
  23. wind — moving air
  24. mate — a partner

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