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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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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: branch · board · patient · band · leaves · fall · shower · sharp

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. band — a ring
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. sharp — clever
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. shower — rain
  9. board — a committee
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. fall — to drop
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. branch — a division
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. band — a music group
  18. board — to get on
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. shower — to wash
  24. fall — the season

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