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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. board — to get on
  3. wake — a trail
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. board — a committee
  7. content — happy
  8. bore — to drill
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. spell — a short time
  11. branch — a division
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. bore — to tire
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. cell — in biology
  19. spell — magic
  20. cell — a phone
  21. spell — letters
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. content — the amount
  24. cell — in a prison

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