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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 · file · hide · last · arm · patient · cap · wave

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. cap — of ice
  3. cap — a lid
  4. file — a document
  5. file — a tool
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. last — to go on
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. last — finally
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. cap — a hat
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. branch — a division
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. file — a line of people
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. arm — part of the body

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