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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. perch — the fish
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. board — a committee
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. charge — in control
  7. board — to get on
  8. charge — a price
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. bat — the animal
  12. branch — a division
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. charge — electricity

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