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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. charge — a price
  4. branch — a division
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. wound — an injury
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. present — a gift
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. board — to get on
  11. staff — a stick
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. charge — electricity
  15. staff — employees
  16. staff — employees
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. perch — the fish
  19. wound — an injury
  20. charge — in control
  21. present — the time now
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. present — there

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