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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: shower · fan · patient · bark · rock · bound · branch · mark

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. shower — rain
  4. mark — a grade
  5. shower — to wash
  6. rock — a stone
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. bound — obliged
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. bark — to shout
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. mark — a trace
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. rock — music
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. bound — tied together
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. bound — certain
  24. fan — a supporter

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