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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  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. last — finally
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. spring — a coil
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. bank — for money
  7. shower — to wash
  8. firm — a company
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. bank — of a river
  12. board — to get on
  13. firm — steady
  14. bank — for money
  15. last — to go on
  16. spring — of water
  17. shower — rain
  18. lie — to recline
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. spring — the season
  21. firm — decided
  22. last — final
  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