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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 120 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
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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: cell · tube · ground · coach · mouse · mate · rush · branch

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  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. cell — a phone
  2. mate — a partner
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. mate — a friend
  6. rush — hurry
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. ground — a position
  10. tube — the underground
  11. branch — a division
  12. mate — to breed
  13. ground — crushed
  14. ground — the earth
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. tube — a container
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. cell — in biology
  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