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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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. board — to get on
  3. board — a committee
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. can — a tin
  6. file — a line of people
  7. spell — letters
  8. can — to be able to
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. bear — the animal
  11. can — a tin
  12. spell — a short time
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. spell — magic
  16. bear — the animal
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. file — a document
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. branch — a division
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. pit — in a race
  23. file — a tool
  24. pit — a hole

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