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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.

Words on the sheet
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: face · kick · patient · ruler · rash · swing · can · branch

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  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. ruler — a monarch
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. rash — hasty
  7. branch — a division
  8. can — to be able to
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. swing — in golf
  11. face — part of the head
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. swing — music
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. swing — to play on
  16. face — to point toward
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. rash — a series
  20. can — a tin
  21. kick — in football
  22. face — to confront
  23. can — a tin
  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