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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: wave · rock · hand · bank · patient · can · staff · branch

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. bank — for money
  3. bank — for money
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. rock — music
  6. rock — a stone
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. branch — a division
  10. staff — employees
  11. can — to be able to
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. staff — employees
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. can — a tin
  16. hand — in cards
  17. can — a tin
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. bank — of a river
  21. staff — a stick
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. wave — of the sea

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