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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 116 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: craft · shower · lean · rest · pit · leaves · branch · patient

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. rest — a break
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. pit — a hole
  7. shower — rain
  8. lean — to bend
  9. lean — thin
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. rest — what's left
  13. pit — in a race
  14. craft — boats
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. rest — what's left
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. branch — a division
  22. shower — to wash
  23. craft — a skill
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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