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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: branch · pop · pit · patient · ruler · dip · hand · saw

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. hand — help
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. dip — to sink
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. saw — the tool
  12. saw — the tool
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. branch — a division
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. hand — in cards
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. pop — music
  20. pop — soda
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. pit — in a race
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. pit — a hole

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