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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: kick · mug · stem · branch · mark · bound · drill · coach

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. stem — to come from
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. drill — army training
  6. drill — the tool
  7. mug — a cup
  8. mark — a trace
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. drill — a practice
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. mark — a grade
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. kick — in football
  18. mug — to rob
  19. branch — a division
  20. bound — certain
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. bound — tied together
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. bound — obliged

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