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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: wind · cue · club · board · ball · branch · mug · face

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. ball — a great time
  3. club — a group
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. club — for dancing
  6. board — to get on
  7. mug — a face
  8. ball — a dance
  9. branch — a division
  10. mug — a cup
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. cue — a hint
  13. mug — to rob
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. club — for golf
  16. cue — for pool
  17. board — a committee
  18. cue — a signal
  19. wind — moving air
  20. face — to confront
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. wind — moving air
  24. face — to point toward

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