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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 120 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 chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. land — a country
  3. board — a committee
  4. board — to get on
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. stem — to come from
  7. band — a music group
  8. land — to come down
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. mug — a face
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. pound — a weight
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. mug — to rob
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. land — ground
  22. mug — a cup
  23. branch — a division
  24. band — a ring

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