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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 116 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 chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. branch — a division
  5. rest — what's left
  6. object — to protest
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. object — an aim
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. degree — temperature
  11. pass — a permit
  12. degree — from a university
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. rock — music
  15. rock — a stone
  16. rest — what's left
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. rush — hurry
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. degree — an amount
  22. rest — a break
  23. object — a thing
  24. pass — to spend time

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