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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 120 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 · bank · staff · kid · drill · craft · branch · cue

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. staff — employees
  3. staff — employees
  4. drill — a practice
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. drill — army training
  8. bank — for money
  9. craft — a skill
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. kid — child
  13. craft — boats
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. drill — the tool
  17. staff — a stick
  18. cue — for pool
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. cue — a hint
  21. cue — a signal
  22. bank — of a river
  23. kid — to tease
  24. bank — for money

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