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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 dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. net — in sport
  3. net — for catching
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. march — music
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. net — after costs
  8. bark — to shout
  9. bank — of a river
  10. bank — for money
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. bank — for money
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. branch — a division
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. march — the month
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. march — the month
  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