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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: bark · stem · board · wind · snap · suit · bank · date

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. bark — to shout
  3. snap — to click
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. suit — in cards
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. wind — moving air
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. wind — moving air
  10. bank — of a river
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. suit — to fit
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. bank — for money
  15. date — the fruit
  16. suit — clothes
  17. bank — for money
  18. stem — to come from
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. board — a committee
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. stem — a stem cell

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