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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: mate · prune · pass · coach · wound · dip · branch · land

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. dip — to sink
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. land — a country
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. prune — to trim
  8. land — ground
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. pass — a permit
  11. mate — to breed
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. prune — to trim
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. branch — a division
  17. wound — an injury
  18. mate — a friend
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. land — to come down
  21. mate — a partner
  22. wound — an injury
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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