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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 116 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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. bound — obliged
  3. branch — a division
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. club — for dancing
  9. bound — certain
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. bound — tied together
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. club — a group
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. fine — all right
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. fine — high quality
  22. club — for golf
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. mouse — for a computer

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