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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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. bank — of a river
  3. net — after costs
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. shower — to wash
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. plane — a tool
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. net — in sport
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. branch — a division
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. net — for catching
  22. bank — for money
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. bank — for money

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