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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.

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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: fan · track · club · straw · face · wake · board · bound

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. track — to keep track
  3. face — part of the head
  4. wake — a trail
  5. bound — certain
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. club — a group
  8. face — to point toward
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. face — to confront
  13. bound — obliged
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. track — a song
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. bound — tied together
  19. track — a path
  20. board — to get on
  21. board — a committee
  22. club — for dancing
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. club — for golf

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