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

Word bank: rule · chair · bank · nail · race · board · fork · wave

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. race — a contest
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. bank — for money
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. board — a committee
  9. fork — in a road
  10. bank — for money
  11. race — the arms race
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. chair — a leader
  15. race — humankind
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. rule — government
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. rule — a law
  23. board — to get on
  24. bank — of a river

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