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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. ball — a dance
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. race — humankind
  16. bark — to shout
  17. race — the arms race
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. race — a contest
  20. chair — a leader
  21. ball — a great time
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. chair — to sit on

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