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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: tube · wake · branch · key · current · coach · bore · present

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. key — the most important part
  4. present — the time now
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. branch — a division
  7. bore — to drill
  8. key — for a lock
  9. key — in music
  10. current — electric
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. tube — the underground
  14. present — there
  15. bore — to tire
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. current — of water
  20. wake — a trail
  21. current — happening now
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. tube — a container
  24. coach — a trainer

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