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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: board · staff · rash · bear · straw · mate · bore · branch

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. bore — to tire
  3. bear — the animal
  4. board — a committee
  5. rash — a series
  6. staff — employees
  7. bear — the animal
  8. branch — a division
  9. rash — hasty
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. mate — a friend
  12. mate — a partner
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. mate — to breed
  18. staff — employees
  19. bore — to drill
  20. staff — a stick
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. board — to get on
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. branch — of a bank

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