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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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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: object · branch · coach · stick · ruler · spring · calf · pass

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. object — an aim
  3. object — a thing
  4. spring — the season
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. branch — a division
  12. spring — a coil
  13. object — to protest
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. pass — a permit
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. spring — of water
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. ruler — for measuring

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