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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: leaves · spring · branch · rash · patient · toast · stand · foot

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. rash — a series
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. branch — a division
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. stand — to bear
  11. foot — a measure
  12. rash — hasty
  13. spring — a coil
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. toast — bread
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. spring — the season
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. spring — of water
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. leaves — of a tree

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