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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: ground · patient · lie · fan · craft · leaves · branch · file

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. file — a document
  5. ground — a position
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. lie — to recline
  10. craft — a skill
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. ground — the earth
  16. file — a tool
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. ground — crushed
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. file — a line of people
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. craft — boats
  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