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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. stand — to bear
  4. board — a committee
  5. saw — the tool
  6. present — there
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. rash — hasty
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. swing — to play on
  12. branch — a division
  13. present — a gift
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. lie — to recline
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. saw — the tool
  20. swing — music
  21. present — the time now
  22. swing — in golf
  23. rash — a series
  24. board — to get on

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