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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: bank · wave · coach · branch · hide · rush · bark · roll

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. bank — for money
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. bank — of a river
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. bank — for money
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. bark — to shout
  15. rush — hurry
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. branch — a division
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. roll — a cake
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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