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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. clip — to cut
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. clip — for paper
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. branch — a division
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. row — a line
  13. board — a committee
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. board — to get on
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. clip — a video
  24. mouse — the animal

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