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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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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: kick · branch · bank · rule · pound · coach · leaves · degree

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. bank — of a river
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. branch — a division
  12. rule — government
  13. bank — for money
  14. degree — an amount
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. kick — in football
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. bank — for money
  19. degree — temperature
  20. degree — from a university
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. pound — a weight
  23. rule — a law
  24. pound — to hit hard

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