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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. can — to be able to
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. ball — a great time
  5. board — to get on
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. mate — to breed
  8. mate — a friend
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. mate — a partner
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. board — a committee
  13. row — to paddle
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. can — a tin
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. ball — a dance
  21. row — a line
  22. can — a tin
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. rush — hurry

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