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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 124 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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. charge — electricity
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. branch — a division
  7. spring — a coil
  8. mug — to rob
  9. object — to protest
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. object — an aim
  12. deal — to handle
  13. charge — in control
  14. rock — music
  15. charge — a price
  16. mug — a cup
  17. rock — a stone
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. spring — of water
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. mug — a face
  24. spring — the season

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