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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.

Words on the sheet
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: tear · current · board · bank · bear · object · wound · bulb

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. bank — of a river
  3. tear — from crying
  4. wound — an injury
  5. wound — an injury
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. tear — to rip
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bank — for money
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bank — for money
  13. current — electric
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. object — an aim
  16. current — of water
  17. bear — the animal
  18. current — happening now
  19. tear — from crying
  20. board — a committee
  21. object — to protest
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. object — a thing

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