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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. spring — a coil
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. pass — a permit
  5. branch — a division
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. pop — soda
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. bound — certain
  10. pop — music
  11. spring — the season
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. bound — obliged
  15. spring — of water
  16. pop — to visit
  17. bound — tied together
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. stand — to bear
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. coach — a trainer

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