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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.

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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. bank — of a river
  4. firm — steady
  5. wind — moving air
  6. board — to get on
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. board — a committee
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. hand — help
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. firm — decided
  15. bank — for money
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. hand — in cards
  18. vault — a safe
  19. bank — for money
  20. wind — moving air
  21. firm — a company
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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