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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. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. present — the time now
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. key — the most important part
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. branch — a division
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. prune — to trim
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. mark — a trace
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. mark — a grade
  15. bank — of a river
  16. prune — to trim
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. bank — for money
  19. present — a gift
  20. bank — for money
  21. key — for a lock
  22. present — there
  23. key — in music
  24. cabinet — ministers

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