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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 124 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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. board — a committee
  4. face — part of the head
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. mate — a friend
  8. branch — a division
  9. mate — to breed
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. club — a group
  12. face — to confront
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. club — for dancing
  16. mine — for digging
  17. bark — to shout
  18. face — to point toward
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. mate — a partner
  22. board — to get on
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. club — for golf

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