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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: track · wave · chest · leaves · pop · firm · board · straw

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. pop — soda
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. track — to keep track
  5. chest — of your body
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. chest — of your body
  10. firm — a company
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. track — a path
  13. track — a song
  14. board — to get on
  15. pop — to visit
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. firm — steady
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. firm — decided
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. board — a committee
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. chest — a box
  24. pop — music

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