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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. swing — in golf
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. cold — an illness
  9. mate — a friend
  10. charge — electricity
  11. mate — a partner
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. swing — music
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. charge — a price
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. swing — to play on
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. mate — to breed
  21. date — the fruit
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. charge — in control
  24. cold — not warm

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