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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: band · board · clip · stand · bank · wave · rest · mark

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. bank — for money
  5. rest — what's left
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. band — a ring
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. clip — a video
  10. board — a committee
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. bank — of a river
  13. mark — a grade
  14. rest — a break
  15. clip — to cut
  16. band — a music group
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. mark — a trace
  19. bank — for money
  20. clip — for paper
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. board — to get on
  23. rest — what's left
  24. stand — to bear

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