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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: can · bound · coach · swing · nail · present · branch · mate

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. swing — music
  4. swing — in golf
  5. bound — tied together
  6. bound — certain
  7. branch — a division
  8. mate — to breed
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. mate — a partner
  11. present — there
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. can — a tin
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. present — a gift
  17. bound — obliged
  18. swing — to play on
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. mate — a friend
  21. present — the time now
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. can — a tin

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