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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: chip · kick · branch · coach · bear · pound · swing · plane

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. branch — a division
  5. chip — for betting
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. pound — a weight
  9. kick — in football
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. bear — the animal
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. chip — to eat
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. bear — the animal
  19. plane — a tool
  20. swing — to play on
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. swing — music
  24. swing — in golf

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