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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: branch · deal · board · temple · stem · leaves · kid · coach

  1. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. 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. kid — to tease
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. stem — to come from
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. kid — child
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. board — a committee
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. branch — a division
  19. board — to get on
  20. deal — to handle
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. 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