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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: rush · branch · sharp · ground · stem · squash · patient · scale

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. scale — size or range
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. squash — to crush
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. stem — to come from
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. branch — a division
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. squash — the sport
  12. ground — a position
  13. scale — in music
  14. rush — hurry
  15. sharp — clever
  16. ground — crushed
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. ground — the earth
  24. patient — a sick person

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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