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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. board — to get on
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. wound — an injury
  7. roll — a list
  8. vault — a safe
  9. bank — for money
  10. craft — boats
  11. game — a match
  12. craft — a skill
  13. board — a committee
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. game — wild animals
  16. wound — an injury
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. bank — of a river
  22. roll — a cake
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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