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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. saw — the tool
  4. bank — for money
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. rest — what's left
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. drill — the tool
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. bank — of a river
  15. saw — the tool
  16. rest — a break
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. drill — a practice
  19. branch — a division
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. drill — army training
  23. dip — to sink
  24. rest — what's left

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