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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 120 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
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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: bound · patient · branch · wake · stick · foot · mouse · dip

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. wake — a trail
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. bound — certain
  9. dip — to sink
  10. branch — a division
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. foot — a measure
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. bound — obliged
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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