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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. cold — an illness
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. net — after costs
  5. charge — in control
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. net — in sport
  8. charge — electricity
  9. branch — a division
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. firm — steady
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. cold — not warm
  14. charge — a price
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. lie — to recline
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. firm — a company
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. suit — in cards
  21. suit — clothes
  22. firm — decided
  23. net — for catching
  24. branch — of a bank

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