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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. board — to get on
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. bank — for money
  6. cap — of ice
  7. cap — a hat
  8. game — wild animals
  9. game — a match
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. board — a committee
  15. cap — a lid
  16. bank — of a river
  17. mate — a friend
  18. track — a path
  19. track — a song
  20. bank — for money
  21. branch — a division
  22. mate — a partner
  23. track — to keep track
  24. mate — to breed

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