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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: toast · bay · lean · pound · nail · branch · coach · hand

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. lean — thin
  12. toast — bread
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. hand — help
  15. hand — in cards
  16. branch — a division
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. lean — to bend
  22. pound — a weight
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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