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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. pop — music
  3. pop — soda
  4. plane — a tool
  5. wound — an injury
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. wound — an injury
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. rule — government
  11. rule — a law
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. pop — to visit
  15. branch — a division
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. present — there
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. present — a gift
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. rule — to rule out

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