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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: branch · toast · bore · patient · temple · kid · mate · leaves

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. mate — a friend
  3. kid — to tease
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. bore — to drill
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. bore — to tire
  9. toast — bread
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. kid — child
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. mate — to breed
  24. branch — a division

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