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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. spring — a coil
  6. wound — an injury
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. net — for catching
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. spring — of water
  12. wound — an injury
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. net — in sport
  18. net — after costs
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. branch — a division
  24. spring — the season

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