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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: patient · rash · bark · branch · lash · calf · fork · bat

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. fork — in a road
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. rash — a series
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. rash — hasty
  17. bat — the animal
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. bark — to shout
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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