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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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468
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: wound · bank · club · snap · bore · roll · board · track

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. bore — to tire
  4. roll — a cake
  5. track — a path
  6. bank — of a river
  7. board — to get on
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. snap — to click
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. bore — to drill
  12. roll — a list
  13. club — for golf
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. board — a committee
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. track — to keep track
  18. club — a group
  19. bank — for money
  20. club — for dancing
  21. track — a song
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. wound — an injury
  24. bank — for money

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