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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: rule · patient · branch · wound · hand · root · firm · rush

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. firm — decided
  6. branch — a division
  7. hand — help
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. firm — a company
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. root — of a word
  12. hand — in cards
  13. rush — hurry
  14. root — of a plant
  15. wound — an injury
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. rule — government
  18. root — the cause
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. wound — an injury
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. firm — steady
  24. patient — a sick person

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