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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. wind — moving air
  3. branch — a division
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. band — a ring
  7. wind — moving air
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. rush — hurry
  10. bass — low music
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. stand — to bear
  17. band — a music group
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. bass — the fish
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. racket — for tennis

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