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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. ball — a dance
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. branch — a division
  6. plane — a tool
  7. hand — help
  8. race — a contest
  9. lie — to recline
  10. ball — a great time
  11. present — there
  12. present — the time now
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. race — the arms race
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. hand — in cards
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. race — humankind
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. board — a committee
  24. board — to get on

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