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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: patient · branch · hand · root · chair · pit · coach · safe

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. branch — a division
  3. pit — in a race
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. root — of a word
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. pit — a hole
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. hand — in cards
  15. root — of a plant
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. chair — a leader
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. root — the cause

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