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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. cap — of ice
  3. bark — to shout
  4. wind — moving air
  5. rock — a stone
  6. bank — for money
  7. wind — moving air
  8. board — a committee
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. bank — of a river
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. rock — music
  13. wake — a trail
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. bank — for money
  16. cap — a lid
  17. tube — the underground
  18. cap — a hat
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. tube — a container
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. tube — in a tire

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