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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · can · fall · dip · fork · court · branch · lie

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  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 nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. fork — in a road
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. fall — to drop
  10. lie — to recline
  11. can — to be able to
  12. can — a tin
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. court — of a king
  15. can — a tin
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. court — for sport
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. branch — a division
  21. court — of law
  22. fall — to drop
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. dip — to sink

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