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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 going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. bore — to tire
  3. bank — for money
  4. bank — of a river
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. chest — a box
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. board — to get on
  10. chip — for betting
  11. band — a ring
  12. chest — of your body
  13. chip — to eat
  14. wound — an injury
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. band — a music group
  17. chair — a leader
  18. wound — an injury
  19. chest — of your body
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. bore — to drill
  23. board — a committee
  24. chair — to sit on

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