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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 120 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: pass · branch · face · leaves · patient · vault · cue · band

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. face — to point toward
  3. cue — a hint
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. face — to confront
  6. pass — a permit
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. band — a ring
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. cue — for pool
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. band — a music group
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. vault — a safe
  21. face — part of the head
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. branch — a division
  24. cue — a signal

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