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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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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: patient · spell · deal · bear · band · march · nail · branch

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. march — music
  3. deal — to handle
  4. branch — a division
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. march — the month
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. spell — magic
  9. band — a music group
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bear — the animal
  12. spell — a short time
  13. band — a ring
  14. spell — letters
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. march — the month
  24. patient — a sick person

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