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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. band — a music group
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. saw — the tool
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. branch — a division
  14. kid — child
  15. saw — the tool
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. band — a ring
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. kid — to tease

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