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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. branch — a division
  3. cue — a hint
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. kick — in football
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. land — to come down
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. cue — a signal
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. board — to get on
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. cue — for pool
  18. land — ground
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. land — a country
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. board — a committee

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