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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 120 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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. bound — tied together
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. wound — an injury
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. pitch — completely
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. plane — a tool
  11. squash — the sport
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. squash — to crush
  14. bound — obliged
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. wound — an injury
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. branch — a division
  24. bound — certain

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