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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 124 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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. lie — to recline
  8. rock — a stone
  9. fall — the season
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. drill — a practice
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. fall — to drop
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. drill — army training
  18. rock — music
  19. branch — a division
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. fall — to drop
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. drill — the tool

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