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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. rash — hasty
  3. mine — for digging
  4. drill — a practice
  5. object — an aim
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. drill — army training
  12. pitch — completely
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. drill — the tool
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. object — a thing
  20. tube — the underground
  21. tube — a container
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. rash — a series
  24. object — to protest

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