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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. stock — goods
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. season — in sport
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. plane — a tool
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. stock — shares
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. branch — a division
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. season — of the year
  16. deal — to handle
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. safe — out of danger

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