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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. tear — to rip
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. can — a tin
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. branch — a division
  8. board — a committee
  9. chip — to eat
  10. tear — from crying
  11. key — in music
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. staff — employees
  16. staff — a stick
  17. key — the most important part
  18. tear — from crying
  19. can — a tin
  20. can — to be able to
  21. staff — employees
  22. chip — for betting
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. key — for a lock

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