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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 116 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 information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. board — to get on
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. prune — to trim
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. cue — for pool
  8. board — a committee
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. band — a music group
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. file — a line of people
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. cue — a signal
  15. wake — a trail
  16. branch — a division
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. file — a tool
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. cue — a hint
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. band — a ring
  23. prune — to trim
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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