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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: stand · spring · lie · land · board · branch · current · ball

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. current — of water
  5. land — ground
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. board — a committee
  8. ball — a dance
  9. current — happening now
  10. land — to come down
  11. current — electric
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. board — to get on
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. land — a country
  16. branch — a division
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. lie — to recline
  19. spring — the season
  20. spring — of water
  21. spring — a coil
  22. ball — a great time
  23. stand — to bear
  24. stand — for spectators

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