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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: perch · can · bank · branch · hand · saw · capital · patient

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  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. saw — past of 'see'
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. bank — for money
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. hand — in cards
  6. saw — the tool
  7. can — a tin
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. can — a tin
  10. capital — money
  11. bank — of a river
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. can — to be able to
  16. capital — a city
  17. hand — help
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. bank — for money
  20. saw — the tool
  21. perch — the fish
  22. branch — a division
  23. patient — a sick person
  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