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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  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. wound — an injury
  2. bank — for money
  3. bank — of a river
  4. cue — a signal
  5. board — a committee
  6. cue — a hint
  7. wind — moving air
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. cue — for pool
  13. fork — in a road
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. board — to get on
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. bank — for money
  20. wound — an injury
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. wake — a trail
  23. fork — to eat with
  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