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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: field · bay · hide · patient · scale · branch · wax · march

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. branch — a division
  7. field — for sport
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. march — the month
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. march — the month
  13. wax — to grow
  14. scale — in music
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. field — farmland
  18. scale — size or range
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. march — music
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. branch — of a tree

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