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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. swing — in golf
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. bass — the fish
  6. swing — to play on
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. staff — employees
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. swing — music
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. staff — employees
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. branch — a division
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. staff — a stick
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. bass — low music

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