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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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. cold — an illness
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. face — part of the head
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. face — to confront
  7. club — for dancing
  8. firm — decided
  9. shower — to wash
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. face — to point toward
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. rush — hurry
  16. branch — a division
  17. club — a group
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. shower — rain
  20. club — for golf
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. firm — a company
  23. cold — not warm
  24. firm — steady

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