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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 · chest · key · saw · arm · cabinet · patient · root

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. branch — a division
  3. root — the cause
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. root — of a word
  7. key — in music
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. chest — of your body
  11. chest — a box
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. key — the most important part
  14. key — for a lock
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. root — of a plant
  17. saw — the tool
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. saw — the tool
  20. chest — of your body
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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