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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. hand — in cards
  5. fall — to drop
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. stand — to bear
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. hand — help
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. wind — moving air
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. fall — the season
  21. fall — to drop
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. wind — moving air
  24. branch — a division

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