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

Word bank: pop · bay · lean · wind · fork · branch · board · mug

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. wind — moving air
  4. mug — a cup
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. pop — music
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. branch — a division
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. pop — to visit
  12. board — to get on
  13. lean — thin
  14. wind — moving air
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. mug — a face
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. lean — to bend
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. board — a committee
  22. fork — in a road
  23. mug — to rob
  24. pop — soda

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