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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: current · stand · board · ground · bank · plane · sharp · straw

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. stand — to bear
  3. ground — a position
  4. sharp — clever
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. ground — crushed
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. ground — the earth
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. bank — for money
  14. board — a committee
  15. board — to get on
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. current — happening now
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. current — electric
  21. bank — of a river
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. plane — a tool
  24. current — of water

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