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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: stand · patient · mark · prune · branch · saw · root · mine

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. root — the cause
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. saw — the tool
  7. root — of a plant
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. prune — to trim
  10. branch — a division
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. mark — a grade
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. mark — a trace
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. stand — to bear
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. prune — to trim
  21. root — of a word
  22. saw — the tool
  23. mine — for digging
  24. stand — on your feet

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