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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.

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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: branch · march · key · board · bound · snap · patient · coach

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. snap — to click
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. board — a committee
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. key — the most important part
  10. bound — obliged
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. bound — tied together
  13. march — the month
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. march — the month
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. bound — certain
  20. board — to get on
  21. key — in music
  22. key — for a lock
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. branch — a division

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