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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. field — farmland
  3. field — a subject
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. bank — for money
  6. bank — for money
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. field — for sport
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. cap — of ice
  14. tube — a container
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. bank — of a river
  17. rush — hurry
  18. tube — the underground
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. branch — a division
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. cap — a lid
  24. cap — a hat

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