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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. board — to get on
  3. mine — for digging
  4. craft — a skill
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. staff — a stick
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. hand — in cards
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. hand — help
  16. board — a committee
  17. staff — employees
  18. squash — the sport
  19. staff — employees
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. squash — to crush
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. craft — boats

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