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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 sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. stem — to come from
  8. branch — a division
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. rush — hurry
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. field — a subject
  15. field — for sport
  16. board — a committee
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. field — farmland
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. board — to get on
  24. wave — of the sea

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