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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: sharp · patient · board · file · rush · stem · branch · face

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. sharp — clever
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. face — to confront
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. face — to point toward
  9. file — a line of people
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. board — to get on
  12. file — a document
  13. branch — a division
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. stem — to come from
  16. file — a tool
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. rush — hurry
  19. board — a committee
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. face — part of the head
  24. stem — of a plant

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