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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: mate · lash · trunk · net · pound · branch · patient · swing

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. net — for catching
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. mate — a partner
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. swing — music
  8. swing — in golf
  9. pound — a weight
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. mate — to breed
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. branch — a division
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. net — in sport
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. swing — to play on
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. mate — a friend
  24. net — after costs

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