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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 116 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: branch · patient · stick · suit · current · bound · mine · face

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. current — of water
  4. branch — a division
  5. face — to point toward
  6. mine — for digging
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. face — part of the head
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. bound — certain
  13. face — to confront
  14. bound — obliged
  15. suit — in cards
  16. current — happening now
  17. suit — to fit
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. suit — clothes
  22. current — electric
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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