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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.

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: safe · patient · march · rash · bark · date · swing · branch

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. swing — to play on
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. date — the fruit
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. bark — to shout
  12. march — the month
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. branch — a division
  16. march — the month
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. swing — music
  20. march — music
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. rash — hasty
  24. rash — a series

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