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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. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. board — to get on
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. chest — of your body
  8. stem — to come from
  9. board — a committee
  10. key — the most important part
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. branch — a division
  13. key — in music
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. bass — the fish
  18. bark — to shout
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. key — for a lock
  21. bass — low music
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. chest — a box
  24. fan — to cool the air

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