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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 ________________ took off on time.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. board — a committee
  4. board — to get on
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. plane — a tool
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. last — final
  14. rest — what's left
  15. rest — what's left
  16. last — finally
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. last — to go on
  19. branch — a division
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. rest — a break
  22. bound — certain
  23. bound — obliged
  24. bound — tied together

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