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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. pitch — completely
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. branch — a division
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. snap — to click
  7. lean — thin
  8. staff — employees
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. lean — to bend
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. staff — a stick
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. staff — employees
  24. racket — for tennis

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