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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 hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. hand — help
  6. plane — a tool
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. branch — a division
  10. fork — in a road
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. ground — a position
  13. mug — to rob
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. sharp — clever
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. hand — in cards
  18. ground — the earth
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. mug — a face
  21. mug — a cup
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. ground — crushed
  24. patient — a sick person

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