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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. pit — in a race
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. tear — to rip
  6. plane — a tool
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. branch — a division
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. last — finally
  12. pit — a hole
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. tear — from crying
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. last — final
  22. last — to go on
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. tear — from crying

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