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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 120 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: mouse · craft · race · lash · file · branch · mark · patient

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. craft — boats
  7. race — humankind
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. branch — a division
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. race — the arms race
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. mark — a grade
  17. mark — a trace
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. file — a document
  20. file — a tool
  21. craft — a skill
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. race — a contest

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