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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. board — a committee
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. deal — to handle
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. scale — size or range
  9. scale — in music
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. branch — a division
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. kick — in football
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. board — to get on
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. deal — a big deal

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