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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. pop — to visit
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. pop — soda
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. branch — a division
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. cap — a lid
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. pop — music
  13. object — to protest
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. object — a thing
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. chair — a leader
  18. cap — of ice
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. cap — a hat

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