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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 · coach · toast · rush · march · suit · wake · trunk

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. suit — clothes
  3. branch — a division
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. rush — hurry
  6. march — the month
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. toast — bread
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. march — the month
  15. suit — to fit
  16. suit — in cards
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. march — music
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. wake — a trail
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. toast — the most admired

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