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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. board — to get on
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. band — a music group
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. branch — a division
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. can — to be able to
  12. can — a tin
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. land — ground
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. land — a country
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. land — to come down
  19. snap — to click
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. board — a committee
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. band — a ring
  24. leaves — to go away

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