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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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Word bank
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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: clip · bank · date · wind · rock · pop · bear · board

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. clip — to cut
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. bank — for money
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. wind — moving air
  7. clip — a video
  8. wind — moving air
  9. board — to get on
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bear — the animal
  12. clip — for paper
  13. board — a committee
  14. date — the fruit
  15. rock — music
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. bank — for money
  19. bank — of a river
  20. pop — to visit
  21. pop — music
  22. rock — a stone
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. pop — soda

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