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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: bay · shower · lean · mark · branch · board · spell · fine

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. mark — a grade
  4. fine — high quality
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. board — to get on
  9. shower — to wash
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. shower — rain
  12. board — a committee
  13. lean — to bend
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. spell — letters
  17. mark — a trace
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. fine — all right
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. branch — a division
  22. spell — magic
  23. lean — thin
  24. branch — of a bank

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