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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. season — of the year
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. season — in sport
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. present — the time now
  8. present — there
  9. board — a committee
  10. branch — a division
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. lean — to bend
  15. lean — thin
  16. perch — the fish
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. present — a gift
  24. nail — on a finger

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