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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bank · board · kick · squash · cell · wave

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. bank — of a river
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. cell — a phone
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. kick — in football
  11. squash — the sport
  12. board — a committee
  13. bank — for money
  14. board — to get on
  15. bank — for money
  16. cell — in biology
  17. squash — to crush
  18. kick — a thrill

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