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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: patient · pass · chair · pound · drill · branch · lie · wave

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. lie — to recline
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. drill — a practice
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. drill — army training
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. chair — a leader
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. pass — a permit
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. branch — a division
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. pound — a weight
  24. drill — the tool

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