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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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. track — a song
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. rock — music
  6. track — a path
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. tear — from crying
  9. branch — a division
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. tear — from crying
  15. tear — to rip
  16. pass — a permit
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. ball — a great time
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. track — to keep track
  22. ball — a dance
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. rock — a stone

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