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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 116 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: bound · trunk · shower · branch · lean · patient · mate · lie

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. bound — tied together
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. bound — obliged
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. bound — certain
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. lie — to recline
  10. mate — a partner
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. lean — thin
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. mate — to breed
  17. lean — to bend
  18. shower — to wash
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. shower — rain
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. mate — a friend
  23. branch — a division
  24. lie — an untruth

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