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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. row — to paddle
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. board — to get on
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. rash — a series
  9. row — a line
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. band — a ring
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. band — a music group
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. board — a committee
  21. ball — a great time
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. branch — a division
  24. ball — a dance

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