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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: face · scale · patient · clip · branch · rock · race · snap

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. rock — a stone
  3. scale — size or range
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. clip — to cut
  7. race — a contest
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. clip — for paper
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. scale — in music
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. face — to confront
  14. branch — a division
  15. clip — a video
  16. race — humankind
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. rock — music
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. snap — to click
  22. race — the arms race
  23. face — part of the head
  24. face — to point toward

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