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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: bulb · rash · bark · saw · patient · branch · mouse · stand

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. bulb — for light
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. bark — to shout
  8. stand — to bear
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. rash — hasty
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. saw — the tool
  16. saw — the tool
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. bulb — for light
  19. rash — a series
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  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