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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. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. lie — to recline
  3. present — a gift
  4. cue — a signal
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. cue — for pool
  8. ground — the earth
  9. ground — a position
  10. present — the time now
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. file — a document
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. file — a tool
  15. ground — crushed
  16. file — a line of people
  17. present — there
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. branch — a division
  21. mine — for digging
  22. cue — a hint
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. lie — an untruth

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