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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: bank · club · rush · coach · branch · mouse · fall · patient

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. fall — to drop
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. bank — of a river
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. bank — for money
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. fall — the season
  14. rush — hurry
  15. club — for dancing
  16. branch — a division
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. club — a group
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. club — for golf
  21. fall — to drop
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. coach — a trainer

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