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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: chip · ground · coach · lie · pitcher · branch · temple · trunk

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. lie — to recline
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. ground — a position
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. chip — for betting
  12. ground — crushed
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. ground — the earth
  15. branch — a division
  16. chip — to eat
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. temple — side of the head

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