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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: stick · shower · branch · mark · patient · bass · lie · firm

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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 trace
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. shower — rain
  5. firm — decided
  6. mark — a grade
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. firm — a company
  9. shower — to wash
  10. bass — low music
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. bass — the fish
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. branch — a division
  15. firm — steady
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. lie — to recline

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