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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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. board — a committee
  5. fall — the season
  6. object — to protest
  7. fall — to drop
  8. board — to get on
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. object — a thing
  14. shower — rain
  15. scale — in music
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. fork — in a road
  18. branch — a division
  19. scale — size or range
  20. fall — to drop
  21. object — an aim
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. fork — a garden tool

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