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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.

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: coach · ball · patient · charge · cue · stick · lean · branch

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. cue — a hint
  7. charge — in control
  8. lean — thin
  9. cue — for pool
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. ball — a great time
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. cue — a signal
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. charge — electricity
  16. charge — a price
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. branch — a division
  19. ball — a dance
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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