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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: charge · patient · field · nail · stem · branch · kid · calf

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. kid — child
  3. charge — a price
  4. branch — a division
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. kid — to tease
  10. field — a subject
  11. stem — to come from
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. charge — in control
  15. field — farmland
  16. field — for sport
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. charge — electricity
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. nail — on a finger

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