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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.

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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. branch — a division
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. chest — of your body
  6. swing — to play on
  7. swing — in golf
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. chest — of your body
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. chest — a box
  20. bear — the animal
  21. charge — in control
  22. charge — a price
  23. charge — electricity
  24. swing — music

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