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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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. present — there
  5. prune — to trim
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. charge — in control
  10. cap — a hat
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. cap — a lid
  15. prune — to trim
  16. cap — of ice
  17. present — the time now
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. present — a gift
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. branch — a division
  23. charge — a price
  24. charge — electricity

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