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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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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: board · wake · cue · root · charge · rest · bark · bank

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. root — of a word
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. bank — for money
  5. charge — a price
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. charge — in control
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. bark — to shout
  10. cue — a signal
  11. cue — a hint
  12. board — to get on
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. cue — for pool
  15. board — a committee
  16. bank — of a river
  17. rest — what's left
  18. root — of a plant
  19. bank — for money
  20. rest — what's left
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. wake — a trail
  23. root — the cause
  24. rest — a break

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