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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 116 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: bound · lean · root · squash · safe · patient · branch · stick

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. root — of a plant
  3. lean — to bend
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. bound — certain
  10. squash — to crush
  11. lean — thin
  12. squash — the sport
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. root — of a word
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. branch — a division
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. root — the cause
  21. bound — obliged
  22. bound — tied together
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. branch — of a tree

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