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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. bark — to shout
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. branch — a division
  13. root — of a plant
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. root — the cause
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. stand — to bear
  18. shower — to wash
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. root — of a word
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. shower — rain
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. mine — for digging

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