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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. branch — a division
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. rash — a series
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. present — the time now
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. present — a gift
  12. bark — to shout
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. pass — a permit
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. wake — a trail
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. foot — a measure
  21. present — there
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. rash — hasty
  24. bark — of a tree

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