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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 120 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: branch · craft · row · cell · mate · rock · coach · can

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. cell — a phone
  4. mate — a partner
  5. craft — a skill
  6. rock — a stone
  7. rock — music
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. can — to be able to
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. row — to paddle
  13. craft — boats
  14. branch — a division
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. can — a tin
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. cell — in biology
  19. mate — to breed
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. mate — a friend
  23. row — a line
  24. can — a tin

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