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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.

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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: arm · rock · pop · wound · branch · patient · lean · bat

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. rock — a stone
  3. lean — to bend
  4. lean — thin
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. wound — an injury
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. pop — soda
  13. pop — to visit
  14. wound — an injury
  15. rock — music
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. branch — a division
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. pop — music
  20. bat — the animal
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. arm — part of the body

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