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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: saw · stand · board · bank · craft · game · leaves · tear

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. board — a committee
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. tear — from crying
  5. craft — boats
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. game — a match
  8. saw — the tool
  9. tear — from crying
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. tear — to rip
  13. stand — to bear
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. bank — of a river
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. saw — the tool
  21. game — wild animals
  22. craft — a skill
  23. bank — for money
  24. board — to get on

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