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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: tear · spell · coach · lean · craft · branch · race · track

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. craft — boats
  4. spell — magic
  5. branch — a division
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. craft — a skill
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. race — humankind
  10. race — a contest
  11. lean — to bend
  12. tear — to rip
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. tear — from crying
  15. track — to keep track
  16. tear — from crying
  17. race — the arms race
  18. track — a path
  19. lean — thin
  20. spell — a short time
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. track — a song
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. coach — a trainer

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