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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. dip — to sink
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. pit — in a race
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. branch — a division
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. pit — a hole
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. board — a committee
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. wax — to grow
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. wake — a trail
  24. branch — of a bank

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