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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: kick · leaves · face · wake · board · arm · branch · lie

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. board — a committee
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. kick — in football
  11. wake — a trail
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. lie — to recline
  16. face — to point toward
  17. face — part of the head
  18. face — to confront
  19. branch — a division
  20. board — to get on
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. arm — a part of something

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