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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. face — part of the head
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. net — for catching
  7. face — to confront
  8. net — in sport
  9. squash — to crush
  10. board — to get on
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. board — a committee
  13. squash — the sport
  14. face — to point toward
  15. branch — a division
  16. net — after costs
  17. club — for dancing
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. club — a group
  20. club — for golf
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. cell — in biology
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. fan — a supporter

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