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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. firm — a company
  3. branch — a division
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. dip — to sink
  6. clip — to cut
  7. clip — for paper
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. bear — the animal
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. bear — the animal
  12. clip — a video
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. pound — a weight
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. firm — steady
  17. firm — decided
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. dip — a sauce

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