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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 works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. mate — a friend
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. key — in music
  7. key — the most important part
  8. firm — decided
  9. rash — hasty
  10. rash — a series
  11. firm — steady
  12. rush — hurry
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. bound — certain
  15. branch — a division
  16. key — for a lock
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. mate — a partner
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. bound — tied together
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. bound — obliged
  23. mate — to breed
  24. rash — on the skin

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