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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.

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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. bank — for money
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. stock — shares
  7. branch — a division
  8. wound — an injury
  9. lean — thin
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. stock — goods
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. sharp — clever
  20. bank — of a river
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. bank — for money
  23. wound — an injury
  24. lean — to bend

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