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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: squash · patient · branch · face · sharp · rest · row · toast

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. rest — a break
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. rest — what's left
  5. squash — to crush
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. toast — bread
  8. row — to paddle
  9. sharp — clever
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. face — part of the head
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. branch — a division
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. row — a line
  20. squash — the sport
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. rest — what's left
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. face — to point toward

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