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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. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. saw — the tool
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. kid — child
  7. content — the amount
  8. kid — to tease
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. saw — the tool
  13. content — happy
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. roll — a list
  16. roll — a cake
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. bank — for money
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. bank — of a river
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. branch — a division
  24. pass — a permit

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