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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: branch · board · mine · wake · fork · mug · swing · face

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. branch — a division
  3. mug — a cup
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. wake — a trail
  6. swing — in golf
  7. face — to point toward
  8. mug — a face
  9. swing — to play on
  10. face — to confront
  11. face — part of the head
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. board — a committee
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. mug — to rob
  20. swing — music
  21. board — to get on
  22. fork — in a road
  23. mine — for digging
  24. fork — a garden tool

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