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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. board — to get on
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. board — a committee
  5. mark — a grade
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. capital — money
  8. key — in music
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. rock — a stone
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. key — the most important part
  20. key — for a lock
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. branch — a division
  23. capital — a city
  24. mark — a trace

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