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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. last — final
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. last — to go on
  5. branch — a division
  6. bass — low music
  7. key — for a lock
  8. key — in music
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. bass — the fish
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. key — the most important part
  14. firm — steady
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. bore — to drill
  20. firm — decided
  21. bore — to tire
  22. last — finally
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. firm — a company

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