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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: board · mug · swing · branch · bay · lean · bore · hand

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. bore — to drill
  3. branch — a division
  4. hand — help
  5. hand — in cards
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. mug — a face
  8. lean — to bend
  9. swing — music
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. board — to get on
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. bore — to tire
  14. mug — to rob
  15. swing — in golf
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. lean — thin
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. swing — to play on
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. board — a committee
  24. board — a flat piece

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