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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. bear — the animal
  6. board — a committee
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. branch — a division
  9. hand — in cards
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. squash — to crush
  12. hand — help
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. vault — a safe
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. bear — the animal
  18. board — to get on
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. squash — the sport
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. branch — of a bank

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