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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: staff · wind · branch · patient · can · tear · plane · bowl

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. staff — employees
  3. staff — employees
  4. tear — to rip
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. wind — moving air
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. tear — from crying
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. branch — a division
  13. tear — from crying
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. wind — moving air
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. plane — a tool
  20. can — a tin
  21. can — to be able to
  22. staff — a stick
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. can — a tin

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