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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: bat · branch · face · patient · can · net · cabinet · stand

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. can — to be able to
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. net — in sport
  6. can — a tin
  7. net — for catching
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. can — a tin
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. net — after costs
  14. branch — a division
  15. face — to confront
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. face — part of the head
  20. bat — the animal
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. face — to point toward
  23. stand — to bear
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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