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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 · fine · band · branch · plane · bark · bore · content

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. content — happy
  7. fine — high quality
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. band — a music group
  11. bark — to shout
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. branch — a division
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. bore — to tire
  17. content — the amount
  18. plane — a tool
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. fine — all right
  24. band — a ring

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