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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: dip · bank · board · chest · band · club · mouse · fall

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. bank — of a river
  3. chest — a box
  4. chest — of your body
  5. fall — to drop
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. chest — of your body
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. bank — for money
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. dip — to sink
  13. club — for dancing
  14. band — a music group
  15. fall — the season
  16. bank — for money
  17. club — for golf
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. board — a committee
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. band — a ring
  23. fall — to drop
  24. club — a group

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