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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 120 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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. present — there
  3. wound — an injury
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. ball — a dance
  7. ball — a great time
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. board — to get on
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. board — a committee
  13. wound — an injury
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. chest — of your body
  18. present — the time now
  19. chest — of your body
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. branch — a division
  23. chest — a box
  24. cabinet — ministers

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