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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
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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: stand · fine · branch · last · bowl · chest · lean · patient

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. lean — thin
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. fine — all right
  6. last — finally
  7. lean — to bend
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. stand — to bear
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. fine — high quality
  12. chest — of your body
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. chest — of your body
  15. branch — a division
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. last — final
  18. chest — a box
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. last — to go on
  24. branch — of a bank

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