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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. drill — a practice
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. board — a committee
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. stem — to come from
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. pass — a permit
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. mark — a grade
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. mark — a trace
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. rush — hurry
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. branch — a division
  23. drill — army training
  24. board — to get on

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