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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: craft · bore · coach · branch · bank · kid · chair · pass

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. branch — a division
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. bank — for money
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. bore — to drill
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. bore — to tire
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. bank — of a river
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. craft — boats
  17. chair — a leader
  18. kid — child
  19. kid — to tease
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. bank — for money
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. craft — a skill

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