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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. present — a gift
  3. pitch — completely
  4. board — to get on
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. present — the time now
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. board — a committee
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. saw — the tool
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. saw — the tool
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. wake — a trail
  17. wound — an injury
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. wound — an injury
  22. branch — a division
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. present — there

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