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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: content · patient · spell · mate · roll · lean · present · branch

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. spell — a short time
  3. roll — a list
  4. present — there
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. content — happy
  9. mate — to breed
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. present — a gift
  12. mate — a partner
  13. mate — a friend
  14. lean — thin
  15. content — the amount
  16. spell — magic
  17. branch — a division
  18. roll — a cake
  19. lean — to bend
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. present — the time now

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