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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: lean · bowl · pop · branch · spell · wound · cell · board

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. wound — an injury
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. branch — a division
  5. lean — thin
  6. board — to get on
  7. pop — music
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. pop — soda
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. spell — magic
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. lean — to bend
  15. spell — a short time
  16. cell — a phone
  17. pop — to visit
  18. spell — letters
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. wound — an injury
  21. cell — in biology
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. board — a committee
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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