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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: vault · patient · kid · branch · bound · arm · lean · rush

  1. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. bound — tied together
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. kid — child
  7. branch — a division
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. vault — a safe
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. bound — certain
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. lean — thin
  21. lean — to bend
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. bound — obliged
  24. rush — hurry

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