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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. board — a committee
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. pound — a weight
  10. chip — for betting
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. board — to get on
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. branch — a division
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. chip — to eat
  24. stem — to come from

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