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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: mine · rest · branch · sharp · board · stick · fan · track

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. track — a path
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. track — a song
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. mine — for digging
  9. board — to get on
  10. rest — a break
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. track — to keep track
  13. rest — what's left
  14. branch — a division
  15. board — a committee
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. sharp — clever
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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