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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: wave · staff · nail · branch · present · key · patient · spring

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. spring — of water
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. branch — a division
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. present — a gift
  7. key — for a lock
  8. spring — a coil
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. present — there
  13. staff — employees
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. key — the most important part
  16. key — in music
  17. staff — a stick
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. staff — employees
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. present — the time now

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