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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: can · board · hand · present · wave · dip · lie · bank

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. bank — for money
  3. present — the time now
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. bank — of a river
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. hand — in cards
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. can — a tin
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. lie — to recline
  14. dip — to sink
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. can — to be able to
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. present — there
  19. present — a gift
  20. board — to get on
  21. bank — for money
  22. hand — help
  23. can — a tin
  24. lie — an untruth

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