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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: rush · dip · board · bound · track · saw · rule · bank

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. track — a song
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. rule — a law
  6. track — a path
  7. dip — to sink
  8. bound — certain
  9. board — to get on
  10. rule — government
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. saw — the tool
  14. bank — for money
  15. track — to keep track
  16. bound — obliged
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. saw — the tool
  19. bound — tied together
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. rush — hurry
  22. bank — of a river
  23. board — a committee
  24. bank — for money

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