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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: branch · fine · fan · coach · row · bank · rush · patient

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. fine — high quality
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. bank — of a river
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. row — a line
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. bank — for money
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. bank — for money
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. row — to paddle
  23. branch — a division
  24. fine — all right

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