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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: coach · can · branch · patient · charge · stick · plane · wound

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. charge — in control
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. charge — electricity
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. can — a tin
  15. wound — an injury
  16. charge — a price
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. can — a tin
  19. wound — an injury
  20. branch — a division
  21. can — to be able to
  22. plane — a tool
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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