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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. lean — thin
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. lean — to bend
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. board — to get on
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. club — a group
  13. branch — a division
  14. board — a committee
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. mark — a grade
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. mark — a trace
  21. club — for golf
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. trunk — of a tree

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