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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. wake — a trail
  4. court — for sport
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. court — of law
  9. object — an aim
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. branch — a division
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. court — of a king
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. object — to protest

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