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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. roll — a list
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. roll — a cake
  7. lean — to bend
  8. drill — the tool
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. drill — army training
  11. drill — a practice
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. bear — the animal
  14. bear — the animal
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. pass — a permit
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. lean — thin
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. branch — a division

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