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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. capital — money
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. bank — of a river
  5. board — a committee
  6. bank — for money
  7. sharp — clever
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. bank — for money
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. capital — a city
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. wake — a trail
  18. wake — before a funeral

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