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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. fine — all right
  4. fine — high quality
  5. suit — to fit
  6. face — to point toward
  7. suit — in cards
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. clip — a video
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. wound — an injury
  13. face — to confront
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. clip — to cut
  16. clip — for paper
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. board — a committee
  20. face — part of the head
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. wound — an injury
  23. board — to get on
  24. suit — clothes

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