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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.

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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: straw · board · rush · net · stand · face · fall · prune

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. stand — to bear
  5. board — to get on
  6. prune — to trim
  7. board — a committee
  8. fall — to drop
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. fall — the season
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. fall — to drop
  15. face — to confront
  16. net — after costs
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. rush — hurry
  19. face — part of the head
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. prune — to trim
  23. face — to point toward
  24. net — for catching

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