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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: arm · pass · branch · fan · cold · patient · race · charge

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. cold — an illness
  5. charge — in control
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. race — the arms race
  8. cold — not warm
  9. race — humankind
  10. pass — a permit
  11. charge — a price
  12. race — a contest
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. charge — electricity
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. branch — a division
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. arm — part of the body

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