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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. fine — all right
  3. content — the amount
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. board — a committee
  6. spell — magic
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. cell — in biology
  9. fine — high quality
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. cell — a phone
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. spell — letters
  16. content — happy
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. branch — a division
  24. spell — a short time

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