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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. can — a tin
  3. board — a committee
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. fall — the season
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. board — to get on
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. can — a tin
  15. fall — to drop
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. fall — to drop
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. branch — a division

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