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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. object — a thing
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. object — an aim
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. object — to protest
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. board — a committee
  10. board — to get on
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. branch — a division
  13. present — the time now
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. face — to point toward
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. face — part of the head
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. face — to confront
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. present — a gift
  24. present — there

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