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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: drill · branch · patient · calf · rush · capital · perch · can

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. can — a tin
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. can — a tin
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. capital — a city
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. drill — a practice
  12. drill — the tool
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. branch — a division
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. capital — money
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. can — to be able to
  21. rush — hurry
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. perch — the fish
  24. patient — a sick person

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