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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 120 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.

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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: patient · rest · stand · branch · bank · trunk · shower · cabinet

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. shower — to wash
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. branch — a division
  7. rest — what's left
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. rest — what's left
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. shower — rain
  15. rest — a break
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. stand — to bear
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. bank — for money
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. bank — of a river
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. cabinet — ministers

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