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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 120 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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. stand — to bear
  4. drill — a practice
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. branch — a division
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. chair — a leader
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. drill — the tool
  11. stem — to come from
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. drill — army training
  21. rock — a stone
  22. rock — music
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. lie — to recline

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