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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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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: kid · board · branch · face · straw · charge · mate · foot

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. mate — to breed
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. charge — a price
  8. charge — electricity
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. kid — child
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. kid — to tease
  14. foot — a measure
  15. mate — a partner
  16. face — to point toward
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. face — part of the head
  19. face — to confront
  20. mate — a friend
  21. branch — a division
  22. board — to get on
  23. charge — in control
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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