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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: tear · bank · wound · content · mug · stock · board · plane

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. wound — an injury
  3. bank — for money
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. tear — to rip
  6. mug — to rob
  7. mug — a face
  8. stock — goods
  9. content — the amount
  10. mug — a cup
  11. tear — from crying
  12. bank — of a river
  13. bank — for money
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. stock — shares
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. plane — a tool
  18. wound — an injury
  19. tear — from crying
  20. content — happy
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. board — a committee
  24. stock — a soup base

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