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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: present · bank · last · straw · wake · wound · swing · board

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. swing — to play on
  3. bank — of a river
  4. present — a gift
  5. present — the time now
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. bank — for money
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. board — to get on
  11. bank — for money
  12. board — a committee
  13. swing — music
  14. wound — an injury
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. swing — in golf
  19. wake — a trail
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. last — to go on
  22. present — there
  23. last — finally
  24. last — final

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