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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 120 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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. mine — for digging
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. present — there
  9. mark — a trace
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. present — the time now
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. present — a gift
  20. branch — a division
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. patient — a sick person

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