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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: march · hide · fan · branch · rest · coach · prune · mug

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. prune — to trim
  4. branch — a division
  5. march — music
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. rest — what's left
  8. march — the month
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. prune — to trim
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. rest — what's left
  15. mug — to rob
  16. mug — a face
  17. rest — a break
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. march — the month
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. mug — a cup

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