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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. current — of water
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. bass — the fish
  8. band — a music group
  9. band — a ring
  10. rest — what's left
  11. current — electric
  12. rest — what's left
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. bass — low music
  15. land — a country
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. current — happening now
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. land — to come down
  22. rest — a break
  23. land — ground
  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