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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: coach · lash · saw · march · temple · charge · net · branch

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. charge — in control
  8. branch — a division
  9. march — the month
  10. charge — electricity
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. net — for catching
  13. march — music
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. march — the month
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. net — after costs
  20. charge — a price
  21. saw — the tool
  22. saw — the tool
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. net — in sport

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