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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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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: file · patient · staff · wound · spring · rest · branch · rush

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. spring — a coil
  4. staff — a stick
  5. rest — a break
  6. wound — an injury
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. file — a document
  10. staff — employees
  11. file — a line of people
  12. wound — an injury
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. staff — employees
  18. branch — a division
  19. rest — what's left
  20. rush — hurry
  21. file — a tool
  22. spring — of water
  23. spring — the season
  24. rest — what's left

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