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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: stand · rash · patient · racket · branch · trunk · scale · fall

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  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. stand — on your feet
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. rash — a series
  4. fall — to drop
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. stand — to bear
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. scale — size or range
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. fall — to drop
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. branch — a division
  20. scale — in music
  21. fall — the season
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. rash — hasty
  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