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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. last — final
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. last — to go on
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. roll — a cake
  12. deal — to handle
  13. branch — a division
  14. last — finally
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. roll — a list

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