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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. spell — a short time
  3. court — of a king
  4. spell — letters
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. toast — bread
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. bank — of a river
  9. court — for sport
  10. branch — a division
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. bank — for money
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. bank — for money
  17. spell — magic
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. chest — a box
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. chest — of your body
  22. mine — for digging
  23. chest — of your body
  24. court — of law

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