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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 120 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 nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. branch — a division
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. rash — hasty
  6. wind — moving air
  7. swing — music
  8. tear — from crying
  9. swing — in golf
  10. pop — to visit
  11. tear — from crying
  12. tear — to rip
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. pop — music
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. swing — to play on
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. rash — a series
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. pop — soda
  24. wind — moving air

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