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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. prune — to trim
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. rush — hurry
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. current — happening now
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. plane — a tool
  10. prune — to trim
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. cap — a hat
  13. fall — to drop
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. cap — of ice
  17. current — of water
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. fall — the season
  20. current — electric
  21. branch — a division
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. fall — to drop
  24. cap — a lid

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