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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: tube · spring · leaves · deal · jam · branch · patient · content

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. content — the amount
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. tube — a container
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. content — happy
  18. spring — a coil
  19. deal — to handle
  20. branch — a division
  21. tube — the underground
  22. spring — the season
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. deal — an agreement

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