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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. wake — a trail
  7. fine — all right
  8. tube — the underground
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. fine — high quality
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. branch — a division
  17. tube — a container
  18. patient — a sick person

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