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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. pound — a weight
  5. vault — a safe
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. last — to go on
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. branch — a division
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. last — final
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. firm — a company
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. firm — decided
  17. mine — for digging
  18. last — finally
  19. firm — steady
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. board — a committee

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