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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: wound · board · lie · swing · mouse · spring · bank · perch

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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. spring — a coil
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. swing — in golf
  7. board — a committee
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. spring — of water
  10. swing — to play on
  11. bank — for money
  12. bank — for money
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. swing — music
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. spring — the season
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. perch — the fish
  20. lie — to recline
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. wound — an injury
  23. bank — of a river
  24. lie — an untruth

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