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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. object — an aim
  3. branch — a division
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. track — to keep track
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. object — to protest
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. object — a thing
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. mark — a grade
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. track — a path
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. track — a song
  23. roll — a list
  24. mark — a trace

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