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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. can — a tin
  3. board — a committee
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. can — to be able to
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. kick — in football
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. branch — a division
  15. board — to get on
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. mine — for digging
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. stock — shares
  23. stock — goods
  24. can — a tin

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