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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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  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. wind — to turn a key
  2. content — the amount
  3. bank — for money
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. board — to get on
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. wind — moving air
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. wind — moving air
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. ball — a dance
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. branch — a division
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. bank — for money
  16. content — happy
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. ball — a great time
  20. bank — of a river
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. fan — to cool the air
  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