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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: leaves · club · bank · squash · straw · lean · board · cue

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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. club — for golf
  4. lean — thin
  5. cue — a signal
  6. cue — a hint
  7. board — a committee
  8. club — a group
  9. squash — to crush
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. lean — to bend
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. club — for dancing
  14. bank — for money
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. bank — of a river
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. cue — for pool
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. squash — the sport
  24. straw — dry grass

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