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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.

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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: fall · rush · patient · charge · march · coach · bank · present

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. march — the month
  3. bank — for money
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. charge — electricity
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. present — a gift
  8. present — the time now
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. fall — to drop
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. rush — hurry
  14. charge — a price
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. fall — to drop
  18. fall — the season
  19. march — the month
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. bank — of a river
  22. march — music
  23. bank — for money
  24. present — there

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