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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 refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. game — a match
  3. branch — a division
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. board — a committee
  6. present — a gift
  7. present — there
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. board — to get on
  10. game — wild animals
  11. bark — to shout
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. wind — moving air
  14. present — the time now
  15. wind — moving air
  16. mug — a face
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. mug — to rob
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. plane — a tool

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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