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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 116 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: bank · board · content · plane · chip · wake · mine · rush

  1. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. mine — for digging
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. chip — for betting
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. bank — of a river
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. bank — for money
  9. board — to get on
  10. wake — a trail
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. bank — for money
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. content — the amount
  16. chip — to eat
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. plane — a tool
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. board — a committee
  23. rush — hurry
  24. rush — to hurry

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