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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: mark · patient · straw · branch · bound · present · ground · hide

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. mark — a grade
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. bound — certain
  6. ground — a position
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. bound — tied together
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. ground — crushed
  15. present — the time now
  16. present — a gift
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. bound — obliged
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. branch — a division
  22. ground — the earth
  23. present — there
  24. mark — a trace

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