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

Word bank: coach · field · march · ruler · wave · lie · branch · fall

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. branch — a division
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. field — farmland
  10. lie — to recline
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. march — the month
  14. march — music
  15. march — the month
  16. fall — to drop
  17. fall — the season
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. fall — to drop
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. field — a subject
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. branch — of a bank

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