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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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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: can · patient · branch · key · lean · rest · sharp · wound

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. key — the most important part
  4. rest — a break
  5. wound — an injury
  6. can — to be able to
  7. lean — thin
  8. wound — an injury
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. key — in music
  12. rest — what's left
  13. can — a tin
  14. rest — what's left
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. branch — a division
  20. key — for a lock
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. can — a tin
  23. sharp — clever
  24. lean — to bend

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