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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 116 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 · wound · charge · squash · patient · mouse · lean · fine

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. wound — an injury
  3. charge — electricity
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. lean — thin
  6. lean — to bend
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. branch — a division
  10. squash — to crush
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. charge — a price
  14. wound — an injury
  15. charge — in control
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. fine — all right
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. fine — high quality
  24. mouse — the animal

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