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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 120 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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. drill — the tool
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. press — to push
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. press — a publisher
  14. drill — army training
  15. branch — a division
  16. drill — a practice
  17. shower — rain
  18. lie — to recline
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. press — newspapers
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. shower — to wash

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