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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: present · squash · nail · fine · patient · branch

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. branch — a division
  3. squash — to crush
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. present — the time now
  7. fine — all right
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. present — there
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. present — a gift
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. squash — the sport
  18. patient — calm and waiting

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