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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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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 nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. mate — a friend
  3. mate — to breed
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. roll — a cake
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. branch — a division
  12. lie — to recline
  13. mate — a partner
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. roll — a list
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. bound — certain
  21. bound — obliged
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. bound — tied together

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