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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 farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. bank — of a river
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. branch — a division
  5. bank — for money
  6. face — to confront
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. wake — a trail
  10. face — part of the head
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. snap — to click
  13. object — to protest
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. object — an aim
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. bank — for money
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. face — to point toward
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. object — a thing

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