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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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. shower — rain
  3. field — a subject
  4. pound — a weight
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. field — farmland
  7. bank — for money
  8. field — for sport
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. branch — a division
  13. shower — to wash
  14. bank — for money
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. bank — of a river
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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