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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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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: fine · leaves · march · patient · bore · content · branch · can

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. fine — high quality
  3. march — the month
  4. march — music
  5. content — the amount
  6. bore — to drill
  7. fine — all right
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. can — a tin
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. content — happy
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. march — the month
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. can — to be able to
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. bore — to tire
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. can — a tin
  22. branch — a division
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. leaves — to go away

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