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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 ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. bound — tied together
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. sharp — clever
  6. wake — a trail
  7. stand — to bear
  8. rest — what's left
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. rest — a break
  11. board — a committee
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. bound — obliged
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. board — to get on
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. season — of the year
  19. bound — certain
  20. season — in sport
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. branch — a division

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