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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. net — for catching
  5. fine — all right
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. hand — help
  8. scale — in music
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. board — to get on
  11. bank — for money
  12. lie — to recline
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. bank — for money
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. bank — of a river
  17. hand — in cards
  18. scale — size or range
  19. fine — high quality
  20. branch — a division
  21. board — a committee
  22. net — after costs
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. lie — an untruth

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