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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. board — to get on
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. branch — a division
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. lie — to recline
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. board — a committee
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. chair — a leader
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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