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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. fall — to drop
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. ground — the earth
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. branch — a division
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. bank — of a river
  11. fall — the season
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. net — in sport
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. fall — to drop
  19. bank — for money
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. ground — a position
  22. net — after costs
  23. ground — crushed
  24. net — for catching

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