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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 120 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 · chip · saw · wave · straw · perch · hand · firm

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. board — a committee
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. firm — steady
  6. saw — the tool
  7. firm — a company
  8. chip — to eat
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. firm — decided
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. saw — the tool
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. hand — in cards
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. board — to get on
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. chip — for betting
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. perch — the fish
  24. hand — help

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