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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
468
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 · prune · bound · lash · race · ground · coach · fall

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. prune — to trim
  4. ground — a position
  5. prune — to trim
  6. branch — a division
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. bound — tied together
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. bound — obliged
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. race — humankind
  16. race — a contest
  17. race — the arms race
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. bound — certain
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. fall — to drop
  22. ground — the earth
  23. fall — to drop
  24. ground — crushed

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