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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 120 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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. saw — the tool
  4. branch — a division
  5. board — a committee
  6. present — the time now
  7. bass — the fish
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. saw — the tool
  14. board — to get on
  15. stock — goods
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. present — a gift
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. stock — shares
  22. bass — low music
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. lash — an eyelash

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