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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: board · bay · trunk · can · stick · fine · straw · dip

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. can — to be able to
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. can — a tin
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. fine — all right
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. board — to get on
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. dip — to sink
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. fine — high quality
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. can — a tin

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