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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. branch — a division
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. bound — obliged
  5. fine — all right
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. bound — tied together
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. staff — a stick
  10. bank — of a river
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. bank — for money
  13. pound — a weight
  14. bound — certain
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. staff — employees
  20. bank — for money
  21. staff — employees
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. fine — high quality

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