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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: bound · coach · toast · spring · charge · branch · can · net

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. charge — a price
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. spring — a coil
  6. charge — electricity
  7. can — a tin
  8. net — after costs
  9. toast — bread
  10. can — to be able to
  11. charge — in control
  12. can — a tin
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. bound — obliged
  16. net — in sport
  17. branch — a division
  18. spring — of water
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. net — for catching
  22. bound — certain
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. spring — the season

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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