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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 · patient · pop · game · mark · cap · lean · suit

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. suit — to fit
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. cap — a lid
  7. pop — music
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. pop — soda
  10. mark — a grade
  11. branch — a division
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. lean — to bend
  15. pop — to visit
  16. cap — of ice
  17. suit — in cards
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. suit — clothes
  21. game — a match
  22. game — wild animals
  23. cap — a hat
  24. mark — a trace

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