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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 116 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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. staff — employees
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. branch — a division
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. staff — a stick
  8. present — the time now
  9. board — to get on
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. bark — to shout
  14. staff — employees
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. present — there
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. board — a committee
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. fork — in a road

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