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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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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: board · bank · wound · bark · patient · swing · row · safe

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. wound — an injury
  3. bank — for money
  4. row — a line
  5. bark — to shout
  6. bank — of a river
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. board — to get on
  12. swing — in golf
  13. row — to paddle
  14. bank — for money
  15. board — a committee
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. swing — music
  22. wound — an injury
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. swing — to play on

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