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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: mark · mine · date · coach · hand · trunk · branch · charge

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. mine — for digging
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. mark — a grade
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. hand — help
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. date — the fruit
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. charge — electricity
  18. branch — a division
  19. hand — in cards
  20. charge — a price
  21. mark — a trace
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. charge — in control
  24. mine — belonging to me

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