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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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. board — a committee
  4. wind — moving air
  5. board — to get on
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. bass — the fish
  8. cue — a hint
  9. mark — a trace
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. cue — a signal
  12. cue — for pool
  13. mark — a grade
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. stem — to come from
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. bass — low music
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. branch — a division
  23. wind — moving air
  24. leaves — lets stay

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