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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: date · hide · arm · patient · scale · racket · branch · lean

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. branch — a division
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. scale — in music
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. lean — to bend
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. scale — size or range
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. date — the fruit
  24. racket — for tennis

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