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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: bank · fan · rash · board · perch · plane · straw · club

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. rash — hasty
  6. club — for dancing
  7. perch — the fish
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. club — for golf
  12. rash — a series
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. board — a committee
  16. bank — for money
  17. bank — for money
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. board — to get on
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. bank — of a river
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. plane — a tool

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