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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. bear — the animal
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. bear — the animal
  6. rest — what's left
  7. rest — what's left
  8. board — to get on
  9. mate — a friend
  10. cue — a hint
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. cue — for pool
  13. row — a line
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. row — to paddle
  16. game — a match
  17. game — wild animals
  18. cue — a signal
  19. mate — a partner
  20. rest — a break
  21. mate — to breed
  22. branch — a division
  23. board — a committee
  24. board — a flat piece

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