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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: hand · bat · current · bank · band · ruler · patient · branch

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. current — of water
  5. bank — of a river
  6. current — happening now
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. branch — a division
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. bank — for money
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. current — electric
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. band — a ring
  19. hand — help
  20. bank — for money
  21. bat — the animal
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. band — a music group

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