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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 · fine · staff · charge · hide · saw · patient · field

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. staff — employees
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. field — a subject
  9. charge — in control
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. saw — the tool
  13. saw — the tool
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. charge — a price
  16. field — for sport
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. fine — all right
  19. staff — employees
  20. staff — a stick
  21. field — farmland
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. fine — high quality
  24. branch — a division

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