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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 120 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
468
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: board · wake · bay · straw · file · charge · can · drill

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. file — a tool
  3. charge — electricity
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. board — a committee
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. file — a line of people
  8. drill — army training
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. charge — in control
  11. drill — a practice
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. can — to be able to
  16. drill — the tool
  17. file — a document
  18. can — a tin
  19. wake — a trail
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. can — a tin
  22. charge — a price
  23. board — to get on
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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