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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: staff · bear · wind · craft · branch · patient · bore · rule

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. rule — a law
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. wind — moving air
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. craft — boats
  8. branch — a division
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. staff — employees
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. staff — employees
  14. bore — to drill
  15. bear — the animal
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. wind — moving air
  21. bore — to tire
  22. staff — a stick
  23. rule — government
  24. craft — a skill

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