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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 currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. can — a tin
  5. bank — for money
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. wound — an injury
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. can — a tin
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. bank — of a river
  14. wake — a trail
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. wound — an injury
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. craft — a skill
  19. craft — boats
  20. can — to be able to
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. board — to get on
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. bank — for money

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