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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: game · pitcher · patient · hide · bulb · bore · branch · wound

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. wound — an injury
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. bore — to tire
  10. bore — to drill
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. game — wild animals
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. wound — an injury
  18. game — a match
  19. branch — a division
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bulb — for light
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. hide — animal skin

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