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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 124 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 asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. spell — letters
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. spell — a short time
  5. kick — in football
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. roll — a list
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. roll — a cake
  11. board — to get on
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. tube — the underground
  14. mark — a trace
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. board — a committee
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. mark — a grade
  23. branch — a division
  24. tube — a container

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