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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. kick — in football
  3. row — a line
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. board — a committee
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. row — to paddle
  8. branch — a division
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. court — for sport
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. rest — what's left
  14. court — of a king
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. firm — decided
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. board — to get on
  19. firm — steady
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. rest — what's left
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. firm — a company
  24. court — of law

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