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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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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: wake · bay · pit · lash · pass · branch · prune · patient

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. prune — to trim
  4. pit — in a race
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. wake — a trail
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. pit — a hole
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. pass — a permit
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. prune — to trim
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. patient — a sick person

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