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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. branch — a division
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. fall — the season
  5. fall — to drop
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. file — a tool
  8. file — a line of people
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. content — happy
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. board — a committee
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. fall — to drop
  15. content — the amount
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. file — a document

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