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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 116 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 · stem · coach · band · object · current · branch · can

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. current — electric
  4. band — a ring
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. mate — a partner
  7. object — to protest
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. object — an aim
  10. mate — to breed
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. band — a music group
  13. can — a tin
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. can — to be able to
  16. current — happening now
  17. stem — to come from
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. branch — a division
  21. current — of water
  22. can — a tin
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. mate — a friend

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