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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.

Make a worksheet

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: trunk · branch · calf · temple · cap · march · capital · coach

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. cap — a hat
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. branch — a division
  6. capital — a city
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. march — the month
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. march — the month
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. march — music
  20. cap — a lid
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. cap — of ice
  23. capital — money
  24. trunk — of a car

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