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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. object — a thing
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. object — to protest
  6. pass — a permit
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. root — of a word
  9. root — of a plant
  10. perch — the fish
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. branch — a division
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. root — the cause
  19. mine — for digging
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. coach — a trainer

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