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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. branch — a division
  3. land — ground
  4. chair — a leader
  5. land — to come down
  6. rush — hurry
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. land — a country
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. fine — high quality
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. fine — all right
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. snap — to click
  24. chair — a professorship

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