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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 captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. cold — not warm
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. pop — music
  5. branch — a division
  6. pop — soda
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. lean — to bend
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. cold — an illness
  13. rest — what's left
  14. track — to keep track
  15. lean — thin
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. board — a committee
  18. track — a path
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. rest — what's left
  21. rest — a break
  22. track — a song
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. pop — to visit

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