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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  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. branch — a division
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. fine — high quality
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. saw — the tool
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. lie — to recline
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. saw — the tool
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. fine — all right
  17. rock — music
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. rock — a stone
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. bat — the animal
  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