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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. ground — crushed
  4. can — to be able to
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. deal — to handle
  8. branch — a division
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. lie — to recline
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. bore — to tire
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. can — a tin
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. ground — a position
  17. can — a tin
  18. present — there
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. present — a gift
  21. present — the time now
  22. bore — to drill
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. ground — the earth

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