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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. mine — for digging
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. branch — a division
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. fork — in a road
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. snap — to click
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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