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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: field · patient · bank · wind · branch · temple · foot · staff

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. bank — of a river
  4. wind — moving air
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. bank — for money
  7. field — for sport
  8. wind — moving air
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. staff — employees
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. branch — a division
  13. field — a subject
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. staff — employees
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. foot — a measure
  22. field — farmland
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. staff — a stick

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