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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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. board — a committee
  4. pop — to visit
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. wind — moving air
  7. last — finally
  8. fall — the season
  9. pop — music
  10. board — to get on
  11. pop — soda
  12. fall — to drop
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. bank — for money
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. bank — for money
  18. fall — to drop
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. bank — of a river
  22. last — final
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. wind — moving air

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