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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 going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. board — a committee
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. board — to get on
  7. bound — tied together
  8. pound — a weight
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. wake — a trail
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. bank — of a river
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. wax — to grow
  17. bound — obliged
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. bound — certain
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. bank — for money
  24. fork — in a road

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