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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. branch — a division
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. board — a committee
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. staff — employees
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. object — a thing
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. perch — the fish
  14. wind — moving air
  15. object — an aim
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. staff — employees
  19. wind — moving air
  20. staff — a stick
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. object — to protest
  24. straw — dry grass

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