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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
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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: mouse · season · branch · patient · ground · wind · bank · dip

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. ground — crushed
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. bank — for money
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. branch — a division
  8. ground — a position
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. ground — the earth
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. bank — of a river
  16. dip — to sink
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. season — of the year
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. wind — moving air
  23. wind — moving air
  24. season — in sport

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