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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: mate · tear · branch · patient · swing · rash · arm · bear

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. mate — a friend
  4. mate — to breed
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. bear — the animal
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. tear — from crying
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. mate — a partner
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. tear — to rip
  15. swing — to play on
  16. swing — music
  17. branch — a division
  18. tear — from crying
  19. rash — a series
  20. bear — the animal
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. rash — hasty
  24. swing — in golf

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