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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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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: net · bank · branch · patient · toast · sharp · fall · nail

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. sharp — clever
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. bank — for money
  10. fall — to drop
  11. toast — bread
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. net — in sport
  15. bank — for money
  16. net — after costs
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. branch — a division
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. bank — of a river
  22. fall — to drop
  23. fall — the season
  24. net — for catching

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