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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. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. wake — a trail
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. season — of the year
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. lie — to recline
  11. branch — a division
  12. season — in sport
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. march — the month
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. march — music
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. march — the month
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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