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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 116 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.

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: bear · tube · bore · bass · hide · branch · pound · patient

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. pound — a weight
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. tube — the underground
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. bass — low music
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. bore — to tire
  11. bass — the fish
  12. branch — a division
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. bear — the animal
  17. tube — a container
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. bear — the animal
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. bore — to drill
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. bass — the instrument

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