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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: mate · branch · coach · mug · ground · last · can · nail

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. can — a tin
  3. mug — to rob
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. last — finally
  6. mate — a friend
  7. branch — a division
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. ground — a position
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. can — to be able to
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. last — final
  14. mug — a face
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. mug — a cup
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. ground — crushed
  20. last — to go on
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. can — a tin
  23. ground — the earth
  24. mate — a partner

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