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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. track — to keep track
  3. track — a song
  4. branch — a division
  5. board — to get on
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. track — a path
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. face — part of the head
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. board — a committee
  16. object — to protest
  17. object — an aim
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. face — to confront
  24. face — to point toward

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