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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: march · rush · squash · lean · patient · stick · branch · rock

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. branch — a division
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. squash — to crush
  7. march — the month
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. march — the month
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. squash — the sport
  13. rock — a stone
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. lean — to bend
  19. lean — thin
  20. rush — hurry
  21. march — music
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. rock — music

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