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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: wind · foot · pitcher · can · patient · charge · branch · row

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. charge — in control
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. can — a tin
  10. can — a tin
  11. charge — a price
  12. wind — moving air
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. charge — electricity
  18. can — to be able to
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. row — to paddle
  21. row — a line
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. foot — a measure
  24. branch — a division

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