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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. game — wild animals
  3. board — a committee
  4. rule — government
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. board — to get on
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. bear — the animal
  9. cap — a hat
  10. rule — a law
  11. game — a match
  12. cap — of ice
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. stand — to bear
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. branch — a division
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. lean — thin
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. cap — a lid
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. lean — to bend

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