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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: bank · wind · board · coach · cell · craft · dip · bass

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. cell — a phone
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. bank — of a river
  5. cell — in biology
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. bass — low music
  9. wind — moving air
  10. bass — the fish
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. bank — for money
  13. dip — to sink
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. bank — for money
  16. craft — a skill
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. board — a committee
  19. wind — moving air
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. board — to get on
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. craft — boats
  24. cell — in a prison

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