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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 · pass · branch · rule · press · craft

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. rule — government
  3. rule — a law
  4. pass — a permit
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. press — to push
  11. press — a publisher
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. branch — a division
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. press — newspapers
  18. craft — a skill

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