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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. roll — a cake
  10. branch — a division
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. bound — obliged
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. stand — to bear
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. roll — a list
  23. bound — tied together
  24. bound — certain

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