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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 120 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: rash · lie · leaves · file · staff · pop · branch · patient

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. branch — a division
  4. staff — employees
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. pop — soda
  7. lie — to recline
  8. file — a line of people
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. pop — to visit
  12. rash — a series
  13. file — a document
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. staff — employees
  20. file — a tool
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. rash — hasty
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. pop — music

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