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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. can — to be able to
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. suit — to fit
  7. chair — a leader
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. branch — a division
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. present — a gift
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. tube — the underground
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. suit — in cards
  18. tube — a container
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. present — there
  21. can — a tin
  22. suit — clothes
  23. can — a tin
  24. branch — of a tree

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