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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. bat — the animal
  4. bank — of a river
  5. spell — letters
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. stem — to come from
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. branch — a division
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. spell — a short time
  14. bank — for money
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. drill — a practice
  17. drill — army training
  18. spell — magic
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. drill — the tool
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. plane — a tool
  24. patient — a sick person

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