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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: capital · scale · lean · can · trunk · bore · branch · patient

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. 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. bore — to drill
  2. branch — a division
  3. scale — in music
  4. lean — to bend
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. can — to be able to
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. capital — money
  10. lean — thin
  11. scale — size or range
  12. bore — to tire
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. can — a tin
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. can — a tin
  21. capital — a city
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. 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