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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. board — a committee
  3. lean — thin
  4. court — of a king
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. lean — to bend
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. pass — a permit
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. court — of law
  14. board — to get on
  15. wind — moving air
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. wind — moving air
  18. court — for sport
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. fan — a supporter

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