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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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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. spell — letters
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. bound — tied together
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. lean — thin
  9. branch — a division
  10. craft — boats
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. bound — obliged
  14. hand — help
  15. board — a committee
  16. craft — a skill
  17. board — to get on
  18. lean — to bend
  19. spell — magic
  20. spell — a short time
  21. hand — in cards
  22. bound — certain
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. ruler — for measuring

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