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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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. bass — the fish
  4. firm — steady
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. land — to come down
  11. land — ground
  12. firm — decided
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. bass — low music
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. toast — bread
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. branch — a division
  21. firm — a company
  22. land — a country
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. stem — to come from

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