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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: board · prune · patient · wound · mouse · content · branch · mate

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. board — to get on
  4. content — the amount
  5. prune — to trim
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. mate — a partner
  10. content — happy
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. prune — to trim
  13. mate — a friend
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. board — a committee
  17. wound — an injury
  18. wound — an injury
  19. branch — a division
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. mate — to breed
  24. content — videos and posts

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