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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. spell — magic
  5. land — to come down
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. bear — the animal
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. board — a committee
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. bear — the animal
  12. spell — letters
  13. bulb — for light
  14. land — ground
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. board — to get on
  18. land — a country
  19. branch — a division
  20. spell — a short time
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bulb — of a plant

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