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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. prune — to trim
  4. bat — the animal
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. board — a committee
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. ball — a great time
  12. ball — a dance
  13. wound — an injury
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. board — to get on
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. prune — to trim
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. branch — a division
  22. tube — a container
  23. wound — an injury
  24. tube — the underground

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