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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: arm · fan · wake · bank · bulb · tear · band · board

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. bank — of a river
  3. tear — from crying
  4. tear — from crying
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. band — a music group
  7. band — a ring
  8. board — to get on
  9. bank — for money
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. bulb — for light
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. wake — a trail
  17. bulb — for light
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. bank — for money
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. tear — to rip
  24. arm — part of the body

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