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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. wound — an injury
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. tube — the underground
  5. mug — a cup
  6. tube — a container
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. wound — an injury
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. mug — to rob
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. lie — to recline
  14. kid — to tease
  15. mate — to breed
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. mate — a friend
  18. mate — a partner
  19. kid — child
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. branch — a division
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. mug — a face

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