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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. tear — to rip
  4. cell — a phone
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. cell — in biology
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. band — a music group
  11. current — happening now
  12. tear — from crying
  13. firm — a company
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. firm — decided
  16. current — of water
  17. firm — steady
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. current — electric
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. band — a ring
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. tear — from crying
  24. deal — to handle

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