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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.

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 · cold · bay · staff · straw · bore · saw · mine

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. board — a committee
  3. mine — for digging
  4. bore — to tire
  5. saw — the tool
  6. cold — not warm
  7. staff — employees
  8. board — to get on
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. cold — an illness
  11. staff — employees
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. staff — a stick
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. bore — to drill
  22. saw — the tool
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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