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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: mouse · coach · wax · racket · branch · game · bound · temple

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  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. coach — a trainer
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. branch — a division
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. wax — to grow
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. game — wild animals
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. bound — certain
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. bound — tied together
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. bound — obliged
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. game — a match
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. wax — in the ear
  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