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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 nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. fall — the season
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. fall — to drop
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. clip — for paper
  9. chair — a leader
  10. clip — to cut
  11. bass — the fish
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. clip — a video
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. land — a country
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. fall — to drop
  19. land — to come down
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. land — ground
  22. branch — a division
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. bass — low music

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