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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.

Make a worksheet

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: row · march · degree · patient · leaves · lash · fine · branch

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. march — music
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. branch — a division
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. degree — an amount
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. row — a line
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. fine — high quality
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. degree — temperature
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. march — the month
  19. march — the month
  20. fine — all right
  21. degree — from a university
  22. row — to paddle
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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