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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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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 · arm · board · rash · wave · bore · bank · cell

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. rash — hasty
  3. bank — for money
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. bore — to tire
  6. tear — to rip
  7. board — to get on
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. tear — from crying
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. bore — to drill
  13. cell — in biology
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. bank — for money
  17. cell — a phone
  18. tear — from crying
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. board — a committee
  22. rash — a series
  23. bank — of a river
  24. rash — on the skin

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