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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 120 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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. saw — the tool
  3. foot — a measure
  4. bear — the animal
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. board — a committee
  13. saw — the tool
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. game — a match
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. rock — a stone
  19. game — wild animals
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. branch — a division
  22. bear — the animal
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. rock — music

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