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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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. tear — from crying
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. shower — to wash
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. shower — rain
  10. tear — to rip
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. season — of the year
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. tear — from crying
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. branch — a division
  17. board — a committee
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. chair — a leader
  22. board — to get on
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. season — in sport

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