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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: patient · bank · hide · branch · capital · wave · mouse · date

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. date — the fruit
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. capital — a city
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. bank — for money
  21. bank — of a river
  22. capital — money
  23. branch — a division
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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