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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. board — a committee
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. clip — to cut
  9. court — of law
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. rock — a stone
  12. rock — music
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. branch — a division
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. court — for sport
  19. board — to get on
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. clip — for paper
  23. court — of a king
  24. clip — a video

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