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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 116 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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. hand — help
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. dip — to sink
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. mate — to breed
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. land — ground
  10. mate — a partner
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. branch — a division
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. land — to come down
  15. land — a country
  16. court — of law
  17. court — for sport
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. lie — to recline
  20. court — of a king
  21. hand — in cards
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. mate — a friend

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