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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: stick · patient · rest · track · pop · hide · charge · branch

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. rest — what's left
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. track — to keep track
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. rest — a break
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. track — a path
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. charge — a price
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. rest — what's left
  15. track — a song
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. charge — in control
  18. pop — to visit
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. charge — electricity
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. pop — soda
  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