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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: charge · last · patient · net · rock · branch · swing · rest

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. swing — music
  3. last — final
  4. branch — a division
  5. rock — a stone
  6. last — finally
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. charge — in control
  10. rest — what's left
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. rest — what's left
  14. swing — to play on
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. charge — a price
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. net — after costs
  19. net — in sport
  20. last — to go on
  21. charge — electricity
  22. swing — in golf
  23. rock — music
  24. rest — a break

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