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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 116 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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. wound — an injury
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. lean — to bend
  11. spring — the season
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. rush — hurry
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. spring — of water
  16. spring — a coil
  17. rash — a series
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. wound — an injury
  21. lean — thin
  22. branch — a division
  23. deal — to handle
  24. rash — hasty

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