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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: straw · wave · bank · mate · prune · board · squash · can

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. bank — for money
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. can — a tin
  7. prune — to trim
  8. can — a tin
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. squash — the sport
  12. prune — to trim
  13. board — to get on
  14. squash — to crush
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. can — to be able to
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. bank — for money
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. bank — of a river
  22. board — a committee
  23. mate — a partner
  24. mate — a friend

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