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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. chip — to eat
  5. bass — the fish
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. branch — a division
  9. drill — a practice
  10. chip — for betting
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. board — a committee
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. toast — bread
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. drill — army training
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. bass — low music
  21. board — to get on
  22. lie — to recline
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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