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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. board — to get on
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. stock — goods
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. shower — rain
  7. board — a committee
  8. vault — a safe
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. stock — shares
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. wake — a trail
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. shower — to wash
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. bear — the animal
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. branch — a division
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. bear — the animal

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