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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 116 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 girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. row — to paddle
  5. plane — a tool
  6. board — a committee
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. spell — a short time
  9. mug — a cup
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. mug — a face
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. branch — a division
  16. spell — magic
  17. mug — to rob
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. spell — letters
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. deal — to handle
  22. board — to get on
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. deal — a big deal

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