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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. bear — the animal
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. mate — a friend
  5. swing — music
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. mate — to breed
  8. board — to get on
  9. branch — a division
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. swing — to play on
  12. swing — in golf
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. board — a committee
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. bear — the animal
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. mate — a partner
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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