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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. fall — to drop
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. fall — the season
  12. ground — a position
  13. ground — the earth
  14. branch — a division
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. bear — the animal
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. fall — to drop
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. land — ground
  22. bear — the animal
  23. ground — crushed
  24. land — a country

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