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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 girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. mug — a face
  3. mug — a cup
  4. pop — soda
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. board — a committee
  9. suit — in cards
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. branch — a division
  12. pop — to visit
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. hand — in cards
  15. mug — to rob
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. suit — clothes
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. board — to get on
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. pop — music
  22. hand — help
  23. suit — to fit
  24. row — to paddle

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