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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: bear · branch · nail · land · suit · band · patient · press

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. branch — a division
  3. land — ground
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. press — newspapers
  6. land — to come down
  7. suit — in cards
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. band — a music group
  11. press — a publisher
  12. band — a ring
  13. suit — clothes
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. bear — the animal
  16. press — to push
  17. suit — to fit
  18. land — a country
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. bear — the animal
  24. branch — of a tree

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