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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 120 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: board · swing · object · bank · bay · wind · track · arm

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. track — a song
  4. object — to protest
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. board — to get on
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. track — a path
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. bank — for money
  13. swing — to play on
  14. object — a thing
  15. wind — moving air
  16. wind — moving air
  17. swing — in golf
  18. swing — music
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. bank — of a river
  21. bank — for money
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. board — a committee
  24. track — to keep track

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