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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. rush — hurry
  3. ground — a position
  4. drill — the tool
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. rest — what's left
  7. branch — a division
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. board — to get on
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. wind — moving air
  13. board — a committee
  14. rest — a break
  15. wind — moving air
  16. ground — crushed
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. drill — army training
  19. drill — a practice
  20. ground — the earth
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. wind — to turn a key

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