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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: bowl · bank · hand · stick · straw · lash · board · bore

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. board — to get on
  3. bank — of a river
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. bank — for money
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. bore — to tire
  8. board — a committee
  9. hand — in cards
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. hand — help
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. bore — to drill
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. hand — part of the body

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