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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. firm — steady
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. land — ground
  7. lie — to recline
  8. craft — a skill
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. last — final
  13. land — a country
  14. land — to come down
  15. firm — a company
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. craft — boats
  18. branch — a division
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. rush — hurry
  21. firm — decided
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. last — finally
  24. last — to go 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