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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. swing — in golf
  3. staff — employees
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. swing — music
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. cold — an illness
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. stand — to bear
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. bear — the animal
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. staff — employees
  16. cold — not warm
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. staff — a stick
  20. swing — to play on
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. bear — the animal
  24. branch — a division

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