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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. branch — a division
  3. foot — a measure
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. field — for sport
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. field — a subject
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. field — farmland
  18. sharp — clever
  19. plane — a tool
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. snap — to click

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