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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. board — a committee
  3. band — a ring
  4. branch — a division
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. wind — moving air
  11. vault — a safe
  12. object — to protest
  13. plane — a tool
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. board — to get on
  16. band — a music group
  17. object — a thing
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. wind — moving air
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. plane — in geometry
  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