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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. chest — a box
  3. board — a committee
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. file — a tool
  6. board — to get on
  7. bank — for money
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. kick — in football
  10. cap — of ice
  11. chest — of your body
  12. bank — of a river
  13. file — a document
  14. chest — of your body
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. cap — a lid
  17. cap — a hat
  18. bank — for money
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. file — a line of people
  24. mouse — for a computer

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