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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: stem · branch · bore · pass · charge · coach · cell · content

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. charge — electricity
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. content — the amount
  7. stem — to come from
  8. branch — a division
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. content — happy
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. charge — a price
  14. cell — in biology
  15. cell — a phone
  16. charge — in control
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. bore — to tire
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. bore — to drill
  24. pass — a permit

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