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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.

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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: bay · mate · board · sharp · last · chest · branch · can

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. mate — to breed
  3. can — a tin
  4. can — to be able to
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. sharp — clever
  9. chest — of your body
  10. last — to go on
  11. last — final
  12. mate — a partner
  13. branch — a division
  14. chest — a box
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. board — to get on
  18. chest — of your body
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. board — a committee
  21. mate — a friend
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. can — a tin
  24. last — finally

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