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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 ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. suit — in cards
  3. branch — a division
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. staff — employees
  9. mate — a partner
  10. tear — to rip
  11. mate — to breed
  12. staff — employees
  13. bark — to shout
  14. staff — a stick
  15. suit — clothes
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. prune — to trim
  18. prune — to trim
  19. tear — from crying
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. tear — from crying
  22. suit — to fit
  23. mate — a friend
  24. bark — of a tree

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