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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. wake — a trail
  6. swing — in golf
  7. suit — in cards
  8. bore — to tire
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. dip — to sink
  11. suit — to fit
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. bore — to drill
  14. tear — from crying
  15. swing — music
  16. tear — to rip
  17. tear — from crying
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. swing — to play on
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. branch — a division
  23. suit — clothes
  24. dip — to dunk

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