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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: track · spring · row · safe · object · branch · face · coach

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. track — to keep track
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. object — a thing
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. face — part of the head
  9. spring — the season
  10. spring — a coil
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. branch — a division
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. track — a path
  15. object — to protest
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. face — to confront
  18. track — a song
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. row — to paddle
  21. spring — of water
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. face — to point toward
  24. object — an aim

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