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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 116 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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. bank — for money
  4. saw — the tool
  5. chip — to eat
  6. row — a line
  7. chip — for betting
  8. tear — from crying
  9. bank — of a river
  10. saw — the tool
  11. band — a ring
  12. ball — a great time
  13. ball — a dance
  14. tear — to rip
  15. board — a committee
  16. tear — from crying
  17. row — to paddle
  18. bank — for money
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. board — to get on
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. band — a music group
  24. band — a rubber band

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