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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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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: foot · club · rock · wind · board · saw · bank · rest

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. rest — a break
  3. rock — music
  4. bank — of a river
  5. club — a group
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. bank — for money
  9. club — for golf
  10. board — a committee
  11. rock — a stone
  12. club — for dancing
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. board — to get on
  15. bank — for money
  16. saw — the tool
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. rest — what's left
  20. foot — a measure
  21. wind — moving air
  22. rest — what's left
  23. wind — moving air
  24. rock — to move gently

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