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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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. wound — an injury
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. foot — a measure
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. board — to get on
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. bark — to shout
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. wound — an injury
  22. branch — a division
  23. board — a committee
  24. band — a ring

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