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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.

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: rush · fine · wind · straw · trunk · last · mate · board

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. rush — hurry
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. wind — moving air
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. mate — to breed
  11. board — a committee
  12. fine — high quality
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. mate — a friend
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. last — final
  18. mate — a partner
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. fine — all right
  22. wind — moving air
  23. last — to go on
  24. board — to get on

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