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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. face — part of the head
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. mug — to rob
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. face — to point toward
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. mug — a face
  13. foot — a measure
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. bulb — for light
  16. face — to confront
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. branch — a division
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. mug — a cup
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. bark — to shout
  24. foot — part of the body

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