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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: date · fall · temple · coach · branch · sharp · mark · patient

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. date — the fruit
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. fall — to drop
  7. branch — a division
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. fall — to drop
  13. mark — a trace
  14. mark — a grade
  15. sharp — clever
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. fall — the season
  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