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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. branch — a division
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. board — to get on
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. firm — steady
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. wake — a trail
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. firm — a company
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. firm — decided
  14. cold — not warm
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. cold — an illness
  18. board — a committee
  19. can — a tin
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. can — a tin
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. wind — moving air
  24. wind — moving air

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