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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 120 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: lash · branch · coach · fork · fan · bank · row · root

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. bank — for money
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. row — a line
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. root — the cause
  12. bank — for money
  13. root — of a plant
  14. branch — a division
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. bank — of a river
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. row — to paddle
  20. root — of a word
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. fork — in a road
  24. fan — to cool the air

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