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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.

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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: bear · branch · pitch · patient · face · deal · mate · file

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  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. pitch — completely
  2. file — a line of people
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. file — a tool
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. deal — to handle
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. bear — the animal
  13. mate — to breed
  14. mate — a friend
  15. face — part of the head
  16. face — to confront
  17. face — to point toward
  18. bear — the animal
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. branch — a division
  21. file — a document
  22. mate — a partner
  23. branch — of a tree
  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