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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. march — the month
  5. bear — the animal
  6. rush — hurry
  7. current — of water
  8. march — music
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. bulb — for light
  11. vault — a safe
  12. current — happening now
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. branch — a division
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. current — electric
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. march — the month
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. bear — the animal

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