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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: branch · cell · kid · bark · bore · cue · patient · fan

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. bark — to shout
  4. branch — a division
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. bore — to drill
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. cue — a signal
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. kid — child
  17. cell — in biology
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. cell — a phone
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. bore — to tire
  22. cue — a hint
  23. kid — to tease
  24. cue — for pool

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