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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: branch · trunk · cold · kick · coach · staff

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. cold — an illness
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. staff — employees
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. branch — a division
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. cold — not warm
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. staff — a stick
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. staff — employees
  17. kick — in football
  18. coach — pulled by horses

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