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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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. cell — in biology
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. cell — a phone
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. lie — to recline
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. board — to get on
  19. branch — a division
  20. stock — shares
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. snap — to click
  24. board — a committee

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