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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: coach · hide · firm · track · kid · prune · branch · saw

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. firm — steady
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. track — a song
  6. kid — child
  7. prune — to trim
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. saw — the tool
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. saw — the tool
  12. prune — to trim
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. track — to keep track
  17. firm — decided
  18. kid — to tease
  19. branch — a division
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. firm — a company
  23. track — a path
  24. prune — the fruit

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