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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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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: tear · board · mate · bank · capital · dip · wound · current

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. capital — money
  5. dip — to sink
  6. bank — for money
  7. mate — a friend
  8. current — happening now
  9. current — electric
  10. bank — for money
  11. wound — an injury
  12. tear — from crying
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. mate — to breed
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. bank — of a river
  17. current — of water
  18. board — a committee
  19. mate — a partner
  20. tear — to rip
  21. capital — a city
  22. wound — an injury
  23. tear — from crying
  24. board — a flat piece

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