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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 farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  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 — calm and waiting
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. face — part of the head
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. prune — to trim
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. sharp — clever
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. face — to point toward
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. face — to confront
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. prune — to trim
  17. branch — a division
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. dip — to sink
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. sharp — with an edge
  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