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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. wound — an injury
  3. chest — of your body
  4. lie — to recline
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. chest — a box
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. stock — shares
  10. branch — a division
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. chest — of your body
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. current — happening now
  18. current — electric
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. wound — an injury
  22. current — of water
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. stock — goods

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