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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. swing — in golf
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. spell — a short time
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. mug — a cup
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. spell — magic
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. swing — music
  17. stem — to come from
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. spell — letters
  21. mug — a face
  22. swing — to play on
  23. branch — a division
  24. mug — to rob

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