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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. roll — a cake
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. board — a committee
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. branch — a division
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. bank — for money
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. board — to get on
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. craft — a skill
  17. kick — in football
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. roll — a list
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. bank — for money
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. bank — of a river

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