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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. degree — temperature
  4. club — a group
  5. suit — clothes
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. file — a line of people
  8. club — for golf
  9. degree — from a university
  10. club — for dancing
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. file — a document
  14. tear — from crying
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. tear — from crying
  17. suit — in cards
  18. branch — a division
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. tear — to rip
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. degree — an amount
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. file — a tool

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