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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. can — a tin
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. branch — a division
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. board — to get on
  10. board — a committee
  11. staff — employees
  12. staff — employees
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. staff — a stick
  15. wake — a trail
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. can — a tin

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