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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. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. land — a country
  4. land — ground
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. snap — to click
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. branch — a division
  12. mark — a trace
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. land — to come down
  19. mark — a grade
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. fork — in a road
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. patient — a sick person

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