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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: squash · cell · row · fine · bank · wind · board · object

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. object — an aim
  4. fine — high quality
  5. bank — of a river
  6. squash — the sport
  7. board — to get on
  8. cell — a phone
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. wind — moving air
  12. row — a line
  13. fine — all right
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. wind — moving air
  16. squash — to crush
  17. bank — for money
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. object — a thing
  20. board — a committee
  21. bank — for money
  22. row — to paddle
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. object — to protest

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