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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. cold — an illness
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. squash — the sport
  7. cell — in biology
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. branch — a division
  10. charge — in control
  11. charge — a price
  12. cold — not warm
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. charge — electricity
  20. plane — a tool
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. cell — a phone
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. squash — to crush

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