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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: patient · face · branch · staff · lean · bass · rush · root

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. branch — a division
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. root — of a word
  5. root — of a plant
  6. face — part of the head
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. face — to point toward
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. bass — the fish
  12. bass — low music
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. lean — to bend
  15. staff — a stick
  16. staff — employees
  17. root — the cause
  18. face — to confront
  19. rush — hurry
  20. staff — employees
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. lean — thin

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