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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.

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: net · row · trunk · branch · present · drill · rest · patient

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. drill — the tool
  3. present — a gift
  4. row — to paddle
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. rest — what's left
  8. drill — army training
  9. net — after costs
  10. net — in sport
  11. row — a line
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. rest — a break
  14. rest — what's left
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. drill — a practice
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. present — the time now
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. branch — a division
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. present — there
  24. patient — a sick person

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