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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. snap — to click
  4. capital — money
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. capital — a city
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. branch — a division
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. bat — the animal
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. wake — a trail
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. ruler — a monarch

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