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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. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. board — a committee
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. hand — help
  7. toast — bread
  8. branch — a division
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. present — there
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. present — the time now
  17. hand — in cards
  18. present — a gift
  19. board — to get on
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. arm — part of the body

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