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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: patient · wake · bank · coach · wound · pit · fork · branch

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. bank — for money
  8. fork — in a road
  9. wound — an injury
  10. pit — in a race
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. wound — an injury
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. bank — for money
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. bank — of a river
  21. branch — a division
  22. wake — a trail
  23. pit — a hole
  24. patient — a sick person

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