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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: wound · fine · lean · cabinet · branch · rash · bat · patient

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. rash — a series
  4. lean — thin
  5. bat — the animal
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. fine — all right
  10. wound — an injury
  11. wound — an injury
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. fine — high quality
  16. lean — to bend
  17. branch — a division
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. rash — hasty
  24. rash — on the skin

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