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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. wind — moving air
  3. board — to get on
  4. current — electric
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. wind — moving air
  7. current — happening now
  8. season — in sport
  9. branch — a division
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. vault — a safe
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. club — for dancing
  16. board — a committee
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. season — of the year
  19. wax — to grow
  20. current — of water
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. club — a group
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. club — for golf

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