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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  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. mark — a grade
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. lean — thin
  4. rock — a stone
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. rock — music
  9. branch — a division
  10. pitch — completely
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. foot — a measure
  13. tear — from crying
  14. tear — from crying
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. lean — to bend
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. tear — to rip
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. branch — of a tree
  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