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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. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. band — a music group
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. branch — a division
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. wound — an injury
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. wound — an injury
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. band — a ring
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. bark — to shout

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