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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. club — for dancing
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. bank — for money
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. craft — boats
  7. club — a group
  8. craft — a skill
  9. bank — for money
  10. net — in sport
  11. net — for catching
  12. wound — an injury
  13. net — after costs
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. lie — to recline
  17. board — to get on
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. bank — of a river
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. club — for golf
  22. wound — an injury
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. board — a flat piece

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