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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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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: coach · last · rock · mark · sharp · safe · branch · pit

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. last — to go on
  3. rock — music
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. last — finally
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. branch — a division
  12. mark — a grade
  13. sharp — clever
  14. last — final
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. mark — a trace
  18. pit — a hole
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. pit — in a race
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. rock — a stone

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