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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 116 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: kid · coach · cabinet · present · rash · bark · chip · branch

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. bark — to shout
  5. present — the time now
  6. chip — to eat
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. kid — child
  9. kid — to tease
  10. present — a gift
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. chip — for betting
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. branch — a division
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. rash — hasty
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. present — there
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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