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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. spell — a short time
  3. swing — in golf
  4. bound — obliged
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. swing — to play on
  8. prune — to trim
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. dip — to sink
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. swing — music
  13. bound — certain
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. spell — magic
  18. spell — letters
  19. deal — to handle
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. branch — a division
  23. prune — to trim
  24. bound — tied together

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