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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 · bound · pitcher · branch · cold · sharp · bay · temple

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. bound — tied together
  3. cold — an illness
  4. bound — obliged
  5. cold — not warm
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. sharp — clever
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. bound — certain
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. branch — a division
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. coach — a trainer

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