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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. mark — a grade
  5. pound — a weight
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. row — to paddle
  8. last — finally
  9. mark — a trace
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. row — a line
  14. fine — high quality
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. fine — all right
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. branch — a division
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. last — to go on
  24. last — final

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