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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 116 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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468
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: patient · stem · calf · branch · can · press · hand · ball

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. can — a tin
  7. ball — a dance
  8. press — to push
  9. press — a publisher
  10. can — a tin
  11. stem — to come from
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. hand — in cards
  16. can — to be able to
  17. hand — help
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. press — newspapers
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. branch — a division

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