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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: spell · saw · patient · wound · staff · kick · dip · branch

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. wound — an injury
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. spell — letters
  5. saw — the tool
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. staff — employees
  8. saw — the tool
  9. spell — a short time
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. spell — magic
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. dip — to sink
  14. wound — an injury
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. kick — in football
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. branch — a division
  23. staff — a stick
  24. staff — employees

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