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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: rest · present · pitcher · coach · leaves · file · branch · hand

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. present — the time now
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. file — a document
  6. rest — what's left
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. rest — a break
  10. hand — help
  11. present — there
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. file — a line of people
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. rest — what's left
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. branch — a division
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. hand — in cards
  22. present — a gift
  23. file — a tool
  24. branch — of a bank

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