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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 120 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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. board — a committee
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. board — to get on
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. fall — to drop
  7. pop — music
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. fine — all right
  10. branch — a division
  11. fall — to drop
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. pop — soda
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. pop — to visit
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. fall — the season
  18. fine — high quality

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