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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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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: branch · shower · pass · arm · patient · wind · firm · ruler

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. wind — moving air
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. wind — moving air
  7. pass — a permit
  8. branch — a division
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. firm — a company
  11. shower — to wash
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. firm — steady
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. shower — rain
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. firm — decided
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. arm — part of the body

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