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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: patient · nail · bat · spell · mouse · safe · racket · branch

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. spell — letters
  3. bat — the animal
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. spell — a short time
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. branch — a division

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