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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. shower — rain
  3. board — a committee
  4. land — ground
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. key — the most important part
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. rock — music
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. board — to get on
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. branch — a division
  14. shower — to wash
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. key — for a lock
  17. land — to come down
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. rock — a stone
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. land — a country
  23. key — in music
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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