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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. rash — hasty
  3. object — a thing
  4. board — a committee
  5. branch — a division
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. rash — a series
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. object — an aim
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. field — a subject
  17. object — to protest
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. board — to get on
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. field — for sport
  22. field — farmland
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. rush — hurry

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