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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 felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. bear — the animal
  5. branch — a division
  6. clip — for paper
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. rock — music
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. clip — a video
  16. chest — a box
  17. chest — of your body
  18. rock — a stone
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. bear — the animal
  22. clip — to cut
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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