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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: board · bear · branch · arm · season · lean · mug · suit

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. board — a committee
  5. season — in sport
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. suit — to fit
  8. branch — a division
  9. lean — thin
  10. suit — clothes
  11. mug — a cup
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. bear — the animal
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. mug — a face
  16. lean — to bend
  17. suit — in cards
  18. season — of the year
  19. mug — to rob
  20. bear — the animal
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. arm — part of the body

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